YOUNG 

EANC- 
RBURS 


a 


Y 


GIF 


JOHN  EAGERLY  DEVOURED  THE  BOOKS  WHICH  WALTER  LENT  HIM. 


THE 


YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS 


AND  THEIR  ADVENTURES  IN  THE 
FRANCO-PRUSSIAN  WAR. 


By  G.  A.  HENTY, 

Special  Correspondent  of  the  "Standard,"  and  Author  of  "A  March 
to  Magdala"  "Out  on  the  Pampas"  etc.,  etc. 


ILLUSTRATED. 


CHICAGO: 

M.  A.  DONOHUE  &  CO. 

407-429  Dearborn  St, 


Eacjc  o: 


3IF] 


PREFACE. 


My  Dear  Lads:  The  present  story  was  written  and 
published  a  few  months  only  after  the  termination  of  the 
Franco-German  war.  At  that  time  the  plan  which  I 
have  since  carried  out  in  "The  Young  Buglers," 
"  Cornet  of  Horse,"  and  "  In  Times  of  Peril,"  and 
which  I  hope  to  continue  in  further  volumes,  of  giving 
under  the  guise  of  historical  tales  full  and  accurate 
accounts  of  all  the  leading  events  of  great  wars,  had  not 
occurred  to  me.  My  object  was  only  to  represent  one 
phase  of  the  struggle,  the  action  of  the  bodies  of  volun- 
teer troops  known  as  franc-tireurs.  The  story  is  laid  in 
France,  and  is  therefore  written  from  the  French  point 
of  view.  The  names,  places,  and  dates  have  been 
changed,  but  circumstances  and  facts  are  true.  There 
were  a  good  many  English  among  the  franc-tireurs,  and 
boys  of  from  fifteen  to  sixteen  were  by  no  means  uncom- 
mon in  their  ranks.  Having  been  abroad  during  the 
whole  of  the  war,  I  saw  a  good  deal  of  these  irregulars, 
and  had  several  intimate  friends  among  them.  Upon 
the  whole,  these  corps  did  much  less  service  to  the  cause 
of  France  than  might  have  been  reasonably  expected. 
They  were  too  often  badly  led,  and  were  sometimes 
absolutely  worse  than  useless.  But  there  were  brilliant 
exceptions,  and  very  many  of  those  daring  actions  were 
performed,  which,  while  requiring  heroism  and  courage 


iv  PREFACE. 

of  the  highest  kind,  are  unknown  to  the  world  in  general, 
and  find  no  place  in  history.  Many  of  the  occurrences 
in  this  tale  are  related  almost  in  the  words  in  which  they 
were  described  to  me  by  those  who  took  part  in  them, 
and  nearly  every  fact  and  circumstance  actually  occurred 
according  to  my  own  knowledge.  Without  aspiring  to 
the  rank  of  a  history,  however  slight,  the  story  will  give 
you  a  fair  idea  of  what  the  life  of  the  franc-tireurs  was,. 
and  of  what  some  of  them  actually  went  through,  suf- 
fered, and  performed. 

Yours  sincerely, 

THE  AUTHOR. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I.  paoe 

The  Outbreak  of  War ,,....*»>* 1 

CHAPTER  II. 
Terrible  News 15 

CHAPTER  III. 
Death  to  the  Spy! 30 

CHAPTER  IV. 
Starting  for  the  Vosges 5(1 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  First  Engagement 64 

CHAPTER  VI. 
The  Tunnel  of  Saverne 76 

CHAPTER  VII. 
A  Baffled  Project 90 

CHAPTER  VHI. 
The  Traitor 102 

CHAPTER  IX. 
A  Desperate  Fight 118 

CHAPTER  X. 
The  Bridge  of  the  Vesouze 135 

CHAPTER  XI. 
A  Fight  in  the  Vosges 151 

CHAPTER  XII. 
The  Surprise 171 


VI 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XIII.  PASK 

The  Escape 188 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
A  Perilous  Expedition 203 

CHAPTER  XV. 
The  Expedition 224 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
A  Desperate  Attempt 240 

CHAPTER  XVII. 
A  Balloon  Voyage 260 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
A  my  of  Victory 281 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
Down  at  Last „ 297 

CHAPTER  XX. 
Crossing  the  Lines 311 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
Home 323 


THE  YOUNG  FRANOTIREURS. 


CHAPTER   I. 

THE   OUTBREAK   OF  WAR. 

The  usually  quiet  old  town  of  Dijon  was  in  a  state  of 
excitement.  There  were  groups  of  people  in  the  streets, 
especially  round  the  corners  where  the  official  placards 
were  posted  up.  Both  at  the  Prefecture  and  the  Mairie 
there  were  streams  of  callers  all  day.  Every  functionary 
wore  an  air  of  importance  and  mystery,  and  mounted 
orderlies  galloped  here  and  there  at  headlong  speed. 
The  gensdarmes  had  twisted  their  mustaches  to  even 
finer  points  than  usual,  and  walked  about  with  the  air  of 
men  who  knew  all  about  the  matter,  and  had  gone 
through  more  serious  affairs  than  this  was  likely  to  be. 

In  the  market-place  the  excitement  and  the  buzz  of 
conversation  were  at  their  highest.  It  was  the  market 
day,  and  the  whole  area  of  the  square  was  full.  Never, 
in  the  memory  of  the  oldest  inhabitant,  had  such  a 
market  been  seen  in  Dijon. 

For  the  ten  days  preceding,  France  had  been  on 
the  tiptoe  of  expectation,  and  every  peasant's  wife 
and  daughter,  for  miles  round  the  town,  had  come  with 
their  baskets  of  eggs,  fowls,  or  fruits,  to  attend  the 
market  and  to  hear  the  news.  So  crowded  was  it  that 
it  was  really  difficult  to  move  about.  People  were  not, 
however,  unmindful  of  bargains;  for  the  French  peasant 
woman  is  a  thrifty  body,  and  has  a  shrewd  eye  to  sous, 


2  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUBS. 

so  the  chaffering  and  haggling  which  almost  invariably 
precede  each  purchase  went  on  as  briskly  as  usual,  but 
between  times  all  thoughts  and  all  tongues  ran  upon  the 
great  event  of  the  day.  It  was  certain,  quite  certain  now, 
that  there  was  to  be  war  with  Prussia.  The  newspapers 
had  said  so  for  some  days,  but  then,  bah!  who  believes  a 
newspaper?  M.  le  Prefect  had  published  the  news  to- 
day, and  every  one  knows  that  M.  le  Prefect  is  not  a 
man  to  say  a  thing  unless  it  were  true.  Most  likely  the 
emperor  himself  had  written  to  him.  Oh!  there  could 
be  no  doubt  about  it  now. 

It  was  singular  to  hear,  amid  all  the  talk,  that  the 
speculation  and  argument  turned  but  little  upon  4^the 
chances  of  the  war  itself,  it  being  tacitly  assumed  to  be 
a  matter  of  course  that  the  Germans  would  be  defeated 
with  ease  by  the  French;  the  great  subject  of  specula- 
tion was  upon  the  points  which  directly  affected  the 
speakers.  Would  the  Mobiles  be  called  out  and  forced 
to  march?  Would  soldiers  who  had  served  their  time 
be  recalled  to  the  service,  even  if  they  were  married; 
and  would  next  year's  conscripts  be  called  out  at  once? 
These  were  the  questions  which  every  one  asked,  but  no 
one  could  answer.  In  another  day  or  two  it  was  proba- 
ble that  the  orders  respecting  these  matters  would  arrive, 
and  in  the  meantime  the  merry  Burgundian  girls 
endeavored  to  hide  their  own  uneasiness  by  laughingly 
predicting  an  early  summons  to  arms  to  the  young  men 
of  their  acquaintance. 

At  the  Lycee  or  great  school  the  boys  are  just  coming 
out.  They  are  too  excited  to  attend  to  lessons,  and  have 
been  released  hours  before  their  usual  time.  They  troop 
out  from  the  great  doors,  talking  and  gesticulating. 
Their  excitement,  however,  takes  a  different  form  to 
that  which  that  of  English  boys  would  do  under  the 
same  circumstances.     There  was  no  shouting,  no  push- 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE URS.  3 

ing,  no  practical  jokes.  The  French  boy  does  not  play; 
at  least  he  does  not  play  roughly.  When  young  he  does 
indeed  sometimes  play  at  buchon,  a  game  something 
similar  to  the  game  of  buttons  as  played  by  English 
street-boys;  he  may  occasionally  play  at  marbles;  but 
after  twelve  years  of  age  he  puts  aside  games  as  beneath 
him.  Prisoners'  base,  foot-ball,  and  cricket  are  alike 
unknown  to  him,  and  he  considers  any  exertion  which 
would  disarrange  his  hair  or  his  shirt-collar  as  barbarous 
and  absurd.  His  amusements  are  walking  in  the  public 
promenade,  talking  politics  with  the  gravity  of  a  man 
of  sixty,  and  discussing  the  local  news  and  gossip. 
This  is  the  general  type  of  French  schoolboy.  Of 
course  there  are  many  exceptions,  and  in  the  Lycee  of 
Dijon  these  were  more  numerous  than  usual. 

This  was  due  to  a  great  extent  to  the  influence  of  the 
two  boys  who  are  coming  out  of  the  school  at  the  present 
moment.  Ralph  and  Percy  Barclay  are,  as  one  can  see 
at  first  sight,  English;  that  is  to  say,  their  father  is 
English,  and  they  have  taken  after  him,  and  not  after 
their  French  mother.  They  are  French  born,  for  they 
first  saw  the  light  at  the  pretty  cottage  where  they  still 
live,  about  two  miles  out  of  the  town;  but  their  father, 
Captain  Barclay,  has  brought  them  up  as  English  boys, 
and  they  have  been  for  two  years  at  a  school  in  England. 
Their  example  has  had  some  effect:  their  cousins,  Louis 
and  Philippe  Duburg,  are  almost  as  fond  of  cricket  and 
other  games,  and  of  taking  long  rambles  for  miles  round, 
as  they  are  themselves;  other  boys  have  also  taken  to 
these  amusements,  and  consequently  you  would  see 
more  square  figures,  more  healthy  faces  at  the  Lycee  at 
Dijon  than  at  most  other  French  schools. 

The  boys  who  joined  in  these  games  formed  a  set  in 
themselves  apart  from  the  rest.  They  were  called  either 
the  English  set,  or  contemptuously  "the  savages;"   but 


4  TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

this  latter  name  was  not  often  applied  to  them  before 
their  faces,  for  the  young  Barclays  had  learned  to  box 
in  England,  and  their  cousins  as  well  as  a  few  of  the 
others  had  practised  with  the  gloves  with  them.  Conse- 
quently although  "the  savages"  might  be  wondered  at 
and  sneered  at  behind  their  backs,  the  offensive  name 
was  never  applied  in  their  hearing. 

At  the  present  moment  Ralph  Barclay  was  the  center 
of  a  knot  of  lads  of  his  own  age. 

"And  so  you  don't  think  that  we  shall  get  to  Berlin, 
Ralph  Barclay;  you  think  that  these  Prussian  louts  are 
going  to  beat  the  French  army?  Look  now,  it  is  a  little 
strong  to  say  that  in  a  French  town." 

"But  I  don't  say  that  at  all,"  Ralph  Barclay  said. 
"You  are  talking  as  if  it  was  a  certainty  that  we  were 
going  to  march  over  the  Prussians;  I  simply  say,  don't 
be  too  positive.  There  can  be  no  doubt  about  the 
courage  of  the  French  army,  but  pluck  alone  won't  do; 
the  question  is,  are  our  generals  and  our  organization  as 
good  as  those  of  the  Prussians,  and  can  we  put  as  many, 
or  anything  like  as  many,  men  into  the  field?  I  am  at 
least  half  French,  and  hope  with  all  my  heart  that  we 
shall  thrash  these  Germans;  but  we  know  that  they  are 
good  soldiers,  and  it  is  safer  not  to  begin  to  brag  till  the 
work  is  over." 

There  was  silence  for  a  minute  or  two  after  Ralph 
ceased  speaking.  The  fact  was,  the  thought  that  per- 
haps France  might  be  defeated  had  never  once  before 
presented  itself  to  them  as  possible.  They  were  half- 
disposed  to  be  angry  with  the  English  boy  for  stating  it; 
but  it  was,  in  the  first  place,  evident,  now  that  they 
thought  of  it,  that  it  was  just  possible,  and,  in  the 
second  place,  a  quarrel  with  Ralph  Barclay  was  a  thing 
which  all  his  schoolfellows  avoided. 

Ralph  Barclay  was  nearly  sixteen,  his  brother  a  year 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIME  UBS.  5 

younger.  Their  father,  Captain  Barclay,  had  lost  a  leg 
in  one  of  the  innumerable  wars  in  India,  two  or  three 
years  before  the  outbreak  of  the  Crimean  war.  He 
returned  to  England,  and  was  recommended  by  his 
doctors  to  spend  the  winter  in  the  south  of  France. 
This  he  did,  and  shortly  after  his  arrival  at  Pau  he 
had  fallen  in  love  with  Melanie  Duburg,  daughter  of  a 
laded  proprietor  near  Dijon,  who  was  stopping 
there  with  a  relative.  A  month  later  he  called  upon  her 
father  at  Dijon,  and  in  the  spring  they  were  married. 
Captain  Barclay's  half-pay,  a  small  private  income,  and 
the  little  fortune  which  his  wife  brought  him,  were 
ample  to  enable  him  to  live  comfortably  in  France,  and 
there  accordingly  he  had  settled  down. 

His  family  consisted  of  Ralph,  Percy,  and  a  daughter, 
called  after  her  mother,  Melanie,  and  who  was  two  years 
younger  than  Percy.  It  had  always  been  Captain  Bar- 
clay's intention  to  return  to  England  when  the  time 
came  for  the  boys  to  enter  into  some  business  or  profes- 
sion, and  he  had  kept  up  his  English  connection  by 
several  visits  there  of  some  months'  duration,  with  his 
whole  family.  The  boys  too  had  been  for  two  years  at 
school  in  England,  as  well  as  for  two  years  in  Germany, 
and  they  spoke  the  three  languages  with  equal  fluency. 

A  prettier  abode  than  that  of  Captain  Barclay  would 
be  difficult  to  find.  It  was  in  no  particular  style  of 
architecture,  and  would  have  horrified  a  lover  of  the 
classic.  It  was  half  Swiss,  half  Gothic,  and  altogether 
French.  It  had  numerous  little  gables,  containing  the 
funniest  shaped  little  rooms.  It  had  a  high  roof  with 
projecting  eaves,  and  round  three  sides  ran  a  wide 
veranda,  with  a  trellis-work,  over  which  vines  were 
closely  trained,  subduing  the  glare  of  the  summer  sun, 
casting  a  cool  green  shade  over  the  sitting-rooms,  and 
I  affording  a  pretty  and  delightfully  cool  retreat,  where 


$  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

Mrs.  Barclay  generally  sat  with  her  work  and  taught 
Melanie,  moving  round  the  house  with  the  sun  so  as  to 
be  always  in  the  shade. 

The  drawing  and  dining-rooms  both  opened  into  this 
veranda.  The  road  came  up  to  the  back  of  the  house, 
and  upon  the  other  three  sides  was  a  garden  which  was 
a  compromise  between  the  English  and  French  styles. 
It  had  a  smooth,  well-mown  lawn,  with  a  few  patches  of 
bright  flowers,  which  were  quite  English,  and  mixed  up 
among  them  and  beyond  them  were  clumps  of  the  grace- 
ful foliage  plants  and  shrubs  in  which  the  French 
delight.  Beyond'was  a  vineyard,  with  its  low  rows  of 
vines,  while  over  these  the  view  stretched  away  to  the 
towers  of  Dijon. 

In  the  veranda  the  boys  upon  their  return  found  Cap- 
tain Barclay  reading  the  papers  and  smoking.  He 
looked  up  as  they  entered. 

"You  are  back  early,  boys." 

"Yes,  papa,  there  was  so  much  talking  going  on  that 
the  professor  gave  it  up  as  hopeless.  You  have  heard 
the  news,  of  course?" 

"Yes,  boys,  and  am  very  sorry  to  hear  it." 

Captain  Barclay  spoke  so  gravely  that  Ralph  asked 
anxiously:  "Don't  you  think  we  shall  thrash  them, 
papa?" 

"I  consider  it  very  doubtful,  Raplh,"  his  father 
said.  "Prussia  has  already  gained  an  immense  moral 
victory.  She  has  chosen  her  own  time  for  war,  and  has 
at  the  same  time  obliged  France  to  take  the  initiative, 
and  so  to  appear  to  be  the  aggressor,  and  therefore  t# 
lose  the  moral  support  of  Europe.  She  has  forced  this 
quarrel  upon  France,  and  yet  nine-tenths  of  Europe  look 
upon  France  as  the  inciter  of  the  war.  History  will 
show  the  truth,  but  it  will  then  be  too  late.  As  it  is, 
France  enters  upon  the  war  with  the  weight  of  public 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUliS.  7 

opinion  dead  against  her,  and,  what  is  worse,  she  enters 
upon  it  altogether  unprepared,  whereas  Prussia  has  been 
getting  ready  for  years.' ' 

"But  the  French  always  have  shown  themselves  to  be 
better  soldiers  than  the  Prussians,  papa." 

"So  they  have,  Percy;  and  equally  well  led,  disci- 
plined/and organized,  I  believe  that  in  anything  like 
equal  forces  they  would  do  so  again.  The  question  is, 
have  we  generals  to  equal  those  who  led  the  Prussians  to 
victory  against  Austria?  is  our  discipline  equal,  or  any 
thing  like  equal,  to  that  of  the  Prussians?  is  our  organi- 
zation as  good  as  theirs?  and  lastly,  have  we  anything 
like  their  numbers?  I  don't  like  the  look  of  it,  boys, 
at  all.  We  ought,  according  to  published  accounts,  to 
be  able  to  put  a  larger  army  than  theirs  in  the  field  just 
at  first,  and  if  we  were  but  prepared,  should  certainly  be 
able  to  carry  all  before  us  for  awhile.  I  question  very 
much  if  we  are  so  prepared.  Supposing  it  to  be  so, 
however,  the  success  would,  I  fear,  be  but  temporary, 
for  the  German  reserves  are  greatly  superior  to  ours. 
Discipline,  too,  has  gone  off  sadly  since  I  first  knew  the 
French  army.  Radical  opinions  may  be  very  wise  and 
very  excellent  for  a  nation,  for  aught  I  know;  but  it  is 
certain  that  they  are  fatal  to  the  discipline  of  an  army. 
My  own  opinion,  as  you  know,  is  that  they  are  equally 
fatal  for  a  country,  but  that  is  a  matter  of  opinion  only; 
but  of  the  fact  that  a  good  Eadical  makes  an  extremely 
bad  soldier  I  am  quite  clear,  and  the  spread  of  Radical 
opinion  among  the  French  army  has  been  very  great. 
Then,  too,  the  officers  have  been  much  to  blame.  They 
think  of  pleasure  far  more  than  duty;  they  spend  four 
times  as  much  time  in  the  cafes  and  billiard-rooms  as 
they  do  in  the  drill-ground.  Altogether,  in  my  opinion, 
the  French  army  has  greatly  gone  off  in  all  points  except 
in  courage,  which,  being  a  matter  of  nationality,  is 
probably  as  high  as  ever. 


8  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUB8. 

It  is  a  bad  lookout,  boys — a  very  bad  lookout. 
There,  don't  talk  about  it  any  more.  I  do  not  want  to 
make  your  mother  unhappy.  Kemember  not  to  express, 
either  as  my  or  your  own  opinon,  anything  I  have  said, 
in  the  town.  It  would  only  render  you  obnoxious,  and 
might  even  cause  serious  mischief.  If  things  go  wrong, 
French  mobs  are  liable  to  wreak  their  bad  temper  on  the 
first  comer." 

"Percy/'  Mrs.  Barclay  said,  coming  into  the  room, 
"please  to  run  down  to  the  end  of  the  garden  and  cut 
some  lettuces  for  salad.  Marie  is  so  upset  that  she  can 
do  nothing." 

"What  is  the  matter  with  her,  mamma?"  both  the 
boys  asked  at  once. 

"Victor  Harve — you  knew  him — the  son  of  the  black- 
smith Harve,  who  had  served  his  time  in  the  army,  and 
came  back  two  months  ago  to  join  his  father  in  his  forge 
and  to  marry  our  Marie,  has  left  to  join  his  regiment. 
He  was  here  an  hour  since  to  say  good-by.  By  this  time 
he  will  have  started.  It  is  not  wonderful  that  she  weeps; 
she  may  never  see  him  again.  I  have  told  her  that  she 
must  be  brave;  a  Frenchwoman  should  not  grudge  those 
she  loves  most  to  fight  for  France." 

"Ah!  Melanie,"  Captain  Barclay  said,  smiling,  "these 
little  patriotic  outbursts  are  delightful  when  one  does 
not  have  to  practice  them  at  one's  own  expense.  'It  is 
sweet  and  right  to  die  for  one's  country,'  said  the  old 
Eoman,  and  every  one  agrees  with  him,  but,  at  the  same 
time,  every  individual  man  has  a  strong  objection  to  put 
himself  in  the  way  of  this  sweet  and  proper  death.  Al- 
though, as  you  say,  no  Frenchwoman  should  grudge  her 
love  to  her  country,  I  fancy  if  a  levee  en  masse  took 
place  to-morrow,  and  the  boys  as  well  as  the  cripples  had 
to  go,  so  that  Ealph,  Percy,  and  I  were  all  obliged  to 
march,  you  would  feel  that  you  did  grudge  us  to  the 
country  most  amazingly." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  9 

Mrs.  Barclay  turned  a  little  pale  at  the  suggestion. 
"Ah!  I  can't  suppose  that,  Richard.  You  are  English, 
and  they  cannot  touch  you  or  the  boys,  even  if  you  could 
march  and  if  they  were  old  enough.' ' 

Captain  Barclay  smiled.  "That  is  no  answer,  Me- 
lanie;  you  are  shirking  the  question.  I  said  if  they 
were  to  make  us  go." 

"Ah,  yes!  I  am  afraid  I  should  grudge  you,  Richard, 
and  the  boys,  except  the  enemy  were  to  invade  France, 
and  then  every  one,  even  we  women,  would  fight;  but 
of  that  there  is  no  chance:  it  is  we  who  will  invade." 

Captain  Barclay  made  no  reply. 

"The  plums  want  gathering,  papa,"  Percy  said,  re- 
turning from  cutting  the  lettuces.  "It  was  arranged 
that  our  cousins  should  come  over  when  they  were  ripe, 
and  have  a  regular  picking.  They  have  no  plums,  and 
Madame  Duburg  wants  them  for  preserving.  May  we 
go  over  after  dinner,  and  ask  them  to  come  in  at  three 
o'clock  and  spend  the  evening?" 

"Certainly,"  Captain  Barclay  said;  "and  you  can  give 
your  mamma's  compliments,  and  ask  if  your  uncle  and 
Madame  Duburg  will  come  in  after  they  have  dined. 
The  young  ones  will  make  their  dinner  at  our  six  o'clock 
tea." 

In  France  early  dinner  is  a  thing  scarcely  known,  even 
among  the  peasantry,  that  is  to  say,  their  meals  are  taken 
at  somewhat  the  same  time  as  ours  are,  but  are  called 
by  different  names.  The  Frenchman  never  eats  what 
we  call  breakfast,  that  is,  he  never  makes  a  really  heavy 
meal  the  first  thing  in  the  morning.  He  takes,  however, 
coffee  and  milk  and  bread-and-butter  when  he  gets  up. 
lie  does  not  call  this  breakfast.  He  speaks  of  it  as  his 
morning  coffee,  and  takes  his  breakast  at  eleven  or  half- 
past  eleven,  or  even  at  twelve.  This  is  a  regular  meal, 
with  soup,  meat  and  wine.     In   England  it  would  be 


10  THE  YOUNQ  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

called  an  early  lunch.  At  six  o'clock  the  Frenchman 
dines,  and  even  the  workingman  calls  this  meal,  which 
an  English  laborer  would  call  supper,  his  dinner.  The 
Barclay's  meals,  therefore,  differed  more  in  name  than 
in  reality  from  those  of  their  neighbors. 

Louis  and  Philippe  Duburg  came  in  at  five  o'clock, 
but  brought  a  message  that  their  sisters  would  come  in 
with  their  father  and  mother  later.  Melanie  was  neither 
surprised  nor  disappointed  at  the  non-arrival  of  her 
cousins.  She  greatly  preferred  being  with  the  boys, 
and  always  felt  uncomfortable  with  Julie  and  Justine, 
who,  although  little  older  than  herself,  were  already  as 
prim,  decorous,  and  properly  behaved  as  if  they  had 
been  women  of  thirty  years  old. 

After  tea  was  over,  the  four  boys  returned  to  their 
work  of  gathering  plums,  while  Melanie,  or  Milly,  as 
her  father  called  her,  to  distinguish  her  from  her 
mother,  picked  up  the  plums  that  fell,  handed  up  fresh 
baskets  and  received  the  full  ones,  and  laughed  and 
chattered  with  her  brothers  and  cousins.  While  so 
engaged,  M.  and  Madame  Duburg  arrived  with  their 
daughters,  Julie  and  Justine. 

M.  Duburg,  Mrs.  Barclay's  brother,  was  proprietor  of  a 
considerable  estate  planted  almost  entirely  with  vines. 
His  income  was  a  large  one,  for  the  soil  was  favorable, 
and  he  carried  on  the  culture  with  such  care  and  atten- 
tion that  the  wines  fetched  a  higher  price  than  any  in 
the  district.  He  was  a*clear-headed,  sensible  man,  with 
a  keen  eye  to  a  bargain.  He  was  fqnd  of  his  sister  and 
her  English  husband,  and  had  offered  no  opposition  to 
his  boys  entering  into  the  games  and  amusements  of 
their  cousins,  although  his  wife  was  constantly  urging 
him  to  do  so.  It  was  to  Madame  Duburg  a  terrible 
thing  that  her  boys,  instead  of  being  always  tidy  and 
orderly,  and  ready  when  at  home  to  accompany  her  for  a 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  11 

walk,  should  come  home  flushed,  hot,  and  untidy,  with 
perhaps  a  swelled  cheek  or  a  hlack  eye,  from  the  effects 
of  a  blow  from  a  cricket  ball  or  boxing-glove. 

Upon  their  arrival  at  Captain  Barclay's  the  two  gen- 
tlemen strolled  out  to  smoke  a  cigar  together,  and  to 
discuss  the  prospects  of  the  war  and  its  effects  upon 
prices. 

Mr.  Barclay  had  asked  Julie  and  Justine  if  they  would 
like  to  go  down  to  the  orchard,  but  Madame  Duburg 
had  so  hurriedly  answered  in  their  name  in  a  negative, 
saying  that  they  would  stroll  round  the  garden  until 
Melanie  returned,  that  Mrs.  Barclay  had  no  resource 
but  to  ask  them  when  they  passed  near  the  orchard  to 
call  Milly,  in  her  name,  to  join  them  in  the  garden. 

"My  dear  Meknie,"  Madame  Duburg  began,  when 
her  daughters  had  walked  away  in  a  quiet,  prim  manner, 
hand  in  hand,  "I  was  really  quite  shocked  as  we  came 
along.  There  was  Melanie  laughing  and  calling  out  as 
loudly  as  the  boys  themselves,  handing  up  baskets  and 
lifting  others  down,  with  her  hair  all  in  confusion,  and 
looking — excuse  my  saying  so — more  like  a  peasant  girl 
than  a  young  lady. 

Mrs.  Barclay  smiled  quietly.  "Milly  is  enjoying  her- 
self, no  doubt,  sister-in-law,  and  I  do  not  see  that  her 
laughing  or  calling  out  or  handing  baskets  will  do  her 
any  serious  harm.  As  for  her  hair,  five  minutes'  brushing 
will  set  that  right." 

"Bui;,  my  dear  sister-in-law,"  Madame  Duburg  said 
earnestly,  "do  you  recall  to  yourself  that  Milly  is  nearly 
fourteen  years  old,  that  she  will  soon  be  becoming  a 
woman,  that  in  another  three  years  you  will  be  search- 
ing for  a  husband  for  her?  My  faith,  it  is  terrible,  and 
she  has  yet  no  figure,  no  manner;"  and  Madame  Duburg 
looked  with  an  air  of  gratified  pride  at  the  stiff  figures 
of  her  own  two  girls. 


12  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUPS. 

"Her  figure  is  not  a  bad  one,  sister-in-law/'  Mrs. 
Barclay  said  composedly;  "she  is  taller  than  Julie,  who 
is  six  months  her  senior;  she  is  as  straight  as  an  arrow. 
Her  health  is  admirable;  she  has  never  had  a  day's 
illness." 

"But  she  cannot  walk;  she  absolutely  cannot  walk!" 
Madame  Duburg  said,  lifting  up  her  hands  in  horror. 

"She  walked  upward  of  twelve  miles  with  her  father 
yesterday,"  Mrs.  Barclay  said,  pretending  to  misunder- 
stand her  sister-in-law's  meaning. 

"I  did  not  mean  that,"  Madame  Duburg  said  im- 
patiently, "but  she  walks  like  a  peasant  girl.  My  faith, 
it  is  shocking  to  say,  but  she  walks  like  a  boy.  I  should 
be  desolated  to  see  my  daughter  step  out  in  that  way. 
Then  look  at  her  manners.  My  word,  she  has  no  man- 
ners at  all.  The  other  day  when  I  was  here,  and  M.  de 
Riviere  with  his  sons  called,  she  was  awkward  and  shy; 
yes,  indeed,  she  was  positively  awkward  and  shy.  It 
is  dreadful  for  me  to  have  to  say  so,  sister-in-law,  but  it 
is  true.  No  manners,  no  ease!  Jule  and  even  Jus- 
tine, can  receive  visitors  even  as  I  could  do  myself." 

"Her  manners  are  not  formed  yet,  sister-in-law,"  Mrs. 
Barclay  said  quietly,  "nor  do  I  care  that  they  should  be. 
She  is  a  young  girl  at  present,  and  I  do  not  wish  to  see 
her  a  woman  before  her  time.  In  three  years  it  will  be 
time  enough  for  her  to  mend  her  manners." 

"But  in  three  years,  sister-in-law,  you  will  be  looking 
for  a  husband  for  her." 

"I  shall  be  doing  nothing  of  the  sort,"  Mrs.  Barclay 
said  steadily.  "In  that,  as  in  many  other  matters,  I 
greatly  prefer  the  English  ways.  As  you  know,  we  give 
up  our  house  in  two  years,  and  go  to  England  to  reside. 
We  have  economized  greatly  during  the  seventeen  years 
since  cur  marriage.  We  can  afford  to  live  in  England 
now.  At  sixteen,  therefore,  Milly  will  have  good  mas- 
ters, and  for  two  years  her  education  will  be  carried  on. 


THE  YOUNG  FRAXC-lLLiEURS.  13 

and  her  walk  and  manner  will  no  doubt  improve.  In 
England  fathers  and  mothers  do  not  arrange  the  mar- 
riage of  their  children,  and  Milly  will  have  to  do  a* 
other  girls  do,  that  is,  wait  until  some  one  falls  in  love 
with  her  and  she  falls  in  love  with  him.  Then,  if  he  is  a 
proper  person  and  has  enough  to  keep  her,  they  will  be 
married." 

Madame  Duburg  was  too  much  shocked  at  the  expres- 
sion of  these  sentiments  to  answer  at  once.  She  only 
sighed,  shook  her  head  and  looked  upward. 

"It  is  strange,"  she  said  at  last,  "to  hear  you,  sister- 
in-law,  a  Frenchwoman,  speak  so  lightly  of  marriage. 
As  if  a  young  girl  could  know  as  well  as  her  parents  who 
is  a  fit  and  proper  person  for  her  to  marry;  besides,  the 
idea  of  a  young  girl  falling  in  love  before  she  marries  is 
shocking,  quite  shocking!" 

"My  dear  sister-in-law,"  Mrs.  Barclay  said,  "we  have 
talked  this  matter  over  before,  and  I  have  always  stated 
my  opinion  frankly.  I  have  seen  a  good  deal  in  Eng- 
land, and  have  seen,  therefore,  and  know  the  result  of 
English  marriages.  I  know  also  what  French  marriages 
are,  and  no  one  who  does  know  the  state  of  things  in 
the  two  countries  can  hesitate  for  a  moment  in  declaring 
that  married  life  in  England  is  infinitely  happier,  in 
every  respect,  than  it  is  in  France.  The  idea  of  telling 
your  daughter  that  she  is  to  marry  a  man  whom  she  has 
never  seen,  as  we  do  in  France,  is,  to  my  mind,  simply 
monstrous.  Fortunately,  I  myself  married  for  love,  and 
I  have  been  happy  ever  since.  I  intend  Milly,  when  the 
time  comes,  to  do  the  same  thing." 

Before  Madame  Duburg  had  time  to  answer  the  gen- 
tlemen joined  them,  and  the  conversation  turned  upon 
the  war.     In  a  short  time  the  three  girls  came  up. 

"What  a  rosy  little  thing  you  are,  Milly!"  her  uncle 
said;  "where  do  you  get  your  plump  cheeks  and  your 


14  TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

bright  color?  I  wish  you  could  give  the  recipe  to  Julie 
and  Justine.  Why,  if  you  were  to  blow  very  hard,  I  do 
think  you  would  blow  them  both  down.,, 

"I  am  really  surprised  at  you,  Monsieur  Duburg,"  his 
wife  said  angrily.  "I  am  sure  I  do  not  wish  Julie  and 
Justine  to  have  so  much  color  as  their  cousin.  I  con- 
sider it  quite  a  misfortune  for  poor  Milly;  it  is  so  very 
commonplace.  Poor  child,  she  looks  as  if  she  had  been 
working  at  the  vintage." 

"That  is  right,  madame;  stand  up  for  your  own,"  and 
her  husband,  who  was  accustomed  to  his  wife's  speeches, 
laughed.  "But,  for  all  that,  commonplace  or  not  com- 
monplace, I  should  like  to  see  some  of  Milly's  bright 
healthy  color  in  my  girls'  cheeks,  and  I  should  like  to 
see  them  walk  as  if  they  had  forgotten  for  a  moment 
their  tight  boots  and  high  heels." 

His  wife  was  about  to  make  an  angry  reply,  when  the 
arrival  of  the  four  boys  bearing  in  triumph  the  last 
basket  of  plums  changed  the  conversation;  and  shortly 
afterward  Madame  Duburg  remarking  that  the  evening 
was  damp  and  that  she  did  not  like  Julie  and  Justine  to 
be  out  in  it  any  later  the  Duburgs  took  their  leave. 


THE  YOUNQ  FRANC-TIREUR&  15 


CHAPTER   II. 

TERRIBLE   NEWS. 

The  ten  days  succeeding  the  declaration  of  war  were 
days  of  excitement  and  anticipation.  The  troops  quar- 
tered at  Dijon  moved  forward  at  once,  and  scarcely  an 
hour  passed  but  long  trains  filled  with  soldiers  from 
Lyons  and  the  South  were  on  their  way  up  toward  Metz. 

The  people  of  Dijon  spent  half  their  time  in  and  around 
the  station.  The  platform  was  kept  clear,  but  bands  of 
ladies  relieved  each  other  every  few  hours,  and  handed 
soup,  bread,  fruit  and  wine  to  the  soldiers  as  they  passed 
through.  Each  crowded  train  was  greeted  as  it  ap- 
proached the  station  with  cheers  and  waving  of  handker- 
chiefs, to  which  the  troops  as  heartily  responded.  Most 
of  the  trains  were  decorated  with  boughs  and  presented 
a  gay  appearance  as,  filled  with  the  little  line  men,  the 
sunburned  Zouaves,  swarthy  Turcos,  gay  hussars  or  sober 
artillerymen,  they  wound  slowly  into  the  town. 

Some  of  the  trains  were  less  gay,  but  were  not  less 
significant  of  war.  Long  lines  of  wagons  filled  with 
cannon,  open  trucks  with  the  deadly  shell  arranged  side 
by  side,  point  upward,  and  looking  more  like  eggs  in  a 
basket  than  deadly  missiles,  came  and  went.  There  too 
were  long  trains  of  pontoons  for  forming  bridges,  while 
every  half-hour  long  lines  of  wagons,  filled  with  biscuits, 
barrels  of  wine,  sacks  of  coffee  and  cases  of  stores  of  all 
sorts  and  kinds,  passed  through. 

The  enthusiasm  of  Dijon  at  the  sight  of  this  moving 


1G  THE  YOUNG  FfiANC-TIREUH8. 

panorama  of  war  rose  to  fever  heat.  The  sound  of  the 
"Marseillaise"  resounded  from  morning  to  night;  vic- 
tory was  looked  upon  as  certain,  and  the  only  subject  of 
debate  was  as  to  the  terms  which  victorious  France 
would  impose  upon  conquered  Prussia.  The  only  im- 
patience felt  was  for  the  news  of  the  first  victory. 

Captain  Barclay  sent  down  sev&ral  casks  of  wine  for 
the  use  of  the  passing  troops,  and  his  wife  went  down 
each  day  to  assist  at  the  distribution.  In  the  evening 
she  and  Milly  scraped  old  rags  to  make  lint  for  the 
wounded. 

The  Lycee  was  still  closed,  as  it  was  found  impossible 
to  get  the  boys  to  attend  to  their  studies,  and  Ralph  and 
Percy  spent  their  time  in  watching  the  trains  go  past 
and  in  shouting  themselves  hoarse. 

Captain  Barclay  did  not  share  in  the  general  en- 
thusiasm, and  each  morning  at  breakfast  he  looked  more 
and  more  grave  as,  upon  opening  the  papers,  he  found 
there  was  still  no  news  of  the  commencement  of 
hostilities. 

"What  difference  does  it  make,  papa?"  Ralph  asked 
one  day,  "we  are  sending  fresh  troops  up  every  hour, 
and  I  do  not  see  how  a  few  days'  delay  can  be  any  disad- 
vantage to  us." 

"It  makes  all  the  difference,  Ralph;  all  the  difference 
in  the  world.  We  had  a  considerably  larger  standing 
army  than  the  Prussians,  and  had  the  advantage  that 
the  main  body  of  our  troops  were  very  much  nearer  to 
the  frontier  than  those  of  the  Prussians.  If  things  had 
been  ready,  we  ought  to  have  marched  two  hundred 
thousand  men  into  Germany,  three  or  four  days,  at 
latest,  after  the  declaration  of  war.  The  Germans  could 
have  had  no  force  capable  of  resisting  them.  We  should 
have  had  the  prestige  of  a  first  success — no  slight  thing 
with  a  French  army — and  we  should  also  have  had  the 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TI11EURS.  17 

great  and  solid  advantage  of  fighting  in  an  enemy's 
country,  instead  of  in  our  own.  The  German  reserves 
are  far  greater  than  our  own;  we  know  how  perfect  their 
organization  is,  and  every  hour  of  delay  is  an  immense 
advantage  to  them.  It  is  quite  likely  now  that,  instead 
of  the  French  invading  Germany,  it  will  be  the  Prus- 
sians who  will  invade  France." 

The  boys  were  but  little  affected  by  their  father's  fore- 
bodings; it  was  scarcely  possible  to  suppose  that  every 
one  could  be  wrong;  still  more  impossible  to  believe  that 
those  great  hosts  which  they  saw  passing,  so  full  of  high 
hope  and  eager  courage,  could  be  beaten.  They  were, 
however,  very  glad  to  sit  round  the  table  of  an  evening 
while  Captain  Barclay  opened  a  great  map  on  the  table, 
explained  the  strength  of  the  various  positions,  and  the 
probability  of  this  or  that  line  of  attack  being  selected 
by  one  or  the  other  army. 

Day  after  day  went  by  until,  on  the  2d  of  August, 
the  news  came  at  last.  The  first  blow  had  been  struck, 
the  first  blood  shed — the  French  had  taken  Saarbruck. 

"  It  is  too  late,"  Captain  Barclay  said,  as  Ralph  and 
Percy  rushed  in  to  say  that  the  news  was  posted  up  at 
the  Prefecture.  "  It  is  too  late,  boys.  The  English 
papers  of  this  morning  have  brought  us  the  news  that 
the  Germans  are  massing  at  least  seven  or  eight  hundred 
thousand  men  along  the  line  from  Saar  Louis  to  Spiers. 
It  is  evident  that  they  fell  back  from  Saarbruck  without 
any  serious  resistance.  In  another  two  or  three  days 
they  will  be  in  readiness,  and  as  they  must  far  outnum- 
ber our  men,  you  will  see  that  the  advantage  at  Saar- 
bruck will  not  be  followed  up,  and  that  the  Prussians 
will  assume  the  offensive." 

"Then  what  do  you  really  think  will  be  the  result, 
papa  ?" 

"1  think,  Ralph,  that  we  shall  be  forced  to  do  what 


18  THE  YOUNG  FllANC-TIREURS. 

not  having  at  once  taken  the  offensive,  we  ought  to  have 
done  from  the  first.  We  shall  have  to  fall  back,  to 
abandon  the  line  of  frontier,  which  is  altogether  inde- 
fensible,  and  to  hold  the  line  of  the  Moselle,  and  the 
spurs  of  the  Vosges,  an  immensely  strong  position,  and 
which  we  ought  to  be  able  to  hold  against  all  the  efforts 
of  Prussia." 

The  exultation  of  Dijon  was  but  short-lived,  for  on 
the  5th  the  boys  came  up  in  the  afternoon  from  the  town 
with  very  serious  faces. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Ralph?" 

"There  is  a  rumor  in  the  town,  papa,  that  the  Swiss 
papers  have  published  an  account  of  the  capture  of 
Weissenburg  by  the  Prussians;  a  great  many  French  are 
said  to  be  prisoners.     Do  you  think  it  can  be  true?" 

"It  is  probable,  at  any  rate,  Ralph.  The  Swiss  papers 
would,  of  course,  get  the  news  an  hour  or  so  after  it  is 
known  in  Germany.  We  must  not  begin  by  believing 
all  that  the  telegram  says,  because  both  sides  are  certain 
to  claim  victories;  still,  the  absolute  capture  of  a  town 
is  a  matter  upon  which  there  can  be  no  dispute,  and  is 
therefore  likely  enough  to  be  true.  We  know  the  Prus- 
sians were  massed  all  along  that  line,  and,  as  I  expected, 
they  have  taken  the  offensive.  Their  chances  of  success 
in  so  doing  were  evident,  as  neither  ^party  know  where 
the  others  are  preparing  to  strike  a  blow,  and  each  can 
therefore  concentrate,  and  strike  with  an  overwhleming 
force  at  any  given  point.  Now  that  the  Germans  have 
made  the  first  move,  and  shown  their  intention,  both 
parties  will  concentrate  in  that  direction.  You  see, 
from  Weissenburg  the  Germans  can  either  march  south 
upon  Strasburg,  or  south-west  upon  Metz  or  Nancy;  but 
to  reach  this  latter  place  they  will  have  to  cross  the 
spurs  of  the  Vosges.  The  French  will,  of  course,  try  to 
bar  their  farther  advance.  We  may  expect  a  great 
battle  in  a  day  or  two." 


TEE  YOUNG  F11ANC-TIREUR3.  19 

The  news  came  but  too  soon,  for  two  days  later  Dijon 
as  well  as  all  France  stood  aghast  at  the  news  of  the 
utter  route  of  MacMahon's  division,  after  the  desperately 
contested  battle  of  Worth,  and  the  not  less  decided, 
though  less  disastrous,  defeats  of  the  French  left  at 
Forbach,  by  the  troops  of  Steinmetz.  Some  little  con- 
solation was  however  gleaned  by  the  fact  that  the 
French  had  been  beaten  in  detail,  and  had  shown  the 
utmost  gallantry  against  greatly  superior  numbers. 
They  would  now,  no  doubt,  fall  back  behind  the  Moselle, 
and  hold  that  line  and  the  position  of  the  Vosges  until 
fresh  troops  could  come  up,  and  a  great  battle  be  fought 
upon  more  even  terms.  Fresh  levies  were  everywhere 
ordered,  and  a  deep  and  general  feeling  of  rage  pre- 
vailed. No  one  thought  of  blaming  the  troops:  it  was 
evident  that  they  had  done  their  best;  the  fault  lay  with 
the  generals,  and  with  the  organization. 

Captain  Barclay  pointed  out  to  the  boys  that  the 
officers  and  men  were  somewhat  to  blame  also,  for 
the  utter  confusion  which  prevailed  among  MacMahon's 
troops  in  their  retreat  showed  that  the  whole  regimental 
system  was  faulty,  and  that  there  could  have  been  no 
real  discipline  whatever,  or  the  shattered  regiments 
would  have  rallied  a  few  miles  from  the  field  of  battle. 

In  Dijon  the  change  during  the  last  fortnight  was 
marvelous.  The  war  spirit  was  higher  than  ever.  Cost 
what  it  might,  this  disgrace  must  be  wiped  out.  The 
Mobiles  were  hard  at  work  drilling,  the  soldiers  who 
had  long  left  the  army  were  starting  by  eve-y  train  to 
the  depots;  the  sound  of  the  "Marseillaise"  rang  through 
the  streets  night  and  day.  The  chorus  "To  arms!" 
gained  a  fresh  meaning  and  power,  and,  in  spite  of  these 
first  defeats,  n^ne  dreamed  of  final  defeat.  Every  day, 
however,  the  news  became  worse.  Strasburg  was  cut 
off,  and  the   Prussians  marched  unopposed   across   the 


20  THE  YOUNG  FRANC- T1REUR8. 

spurs  of  the  Vosges,  where  a  mere  handful  of  men  might 
have  checked  them. 

"Boys,  there  are  terrible  days  in  store  for  France/' 
Captain  Barclay,  said,  when  the  news  came  that  the 
enemy  had  entered  Nancy.  "The  line  of  the  Moselle  is 
turned.  Bazaine  will  be  cut  oh*  unless  he  hurries  his 
retread  and  then  nothing  can  stop  the  Prussians  from 
march:3g  to  Paris." 

The  boys  sat  speechless  at  this  terrible  assurance. 

"Surely  it  cannot  be  as  bad  as  that,"  Mrs.  Barclay 
said;  "Frenchmen  cannot  have  lost  all  their  old  quali- 
ties, and  all  France  will  rise  like  one  man  to  march  to 
the  defense  of  Paris." 

"Raw  levies  will  be  of  no  use  whatever  against  iat, 
Prussian  troops,  flushed  with  victory,"  Captain  Barclay 
said,  "even  if  they  were  armed;  and  where  are  the  arms 
for  a  levy  en  masse  to  come  from  ?  If  Bazaine  be  beaten 
the  only  hope  of  France  is  for  all  the  troops  who  remain 
to  fall  back  under  the  guns  of  the  forts  of  Paris,  and  for 
France  to  enter  upon  an  immense  guerrilla  war;  for  hosts 
of  skirmishers  to  hang  upon  their  flanks  and  rear,  cut- 
ting every  road,  destroying  every  bridge,  checking  the 
movements  of  every  detached  body,  and  so  actually 
starving  them  out  on  the  ground  which  they  occupy. 
This  however  will  demand  an  immense  amount  of  pluck, 
of  endurance,  of  perseverance,  of  sacrifice,  and  of  pa- 
triotism. The  question  is,  does  France  possess  these 
qualities?" 

"Surely,  Richard,  you  cannot  doubt  the  patriotism  of 
the  French,"  Mrs.  Barclay  said  a  little  reproachfully. 

"My  dear  Melanie,"  her  husband  said,  "I  am  sorry  to 
say  that  I  very  greatly  doubt  the  patriotism  of  the 
French.  They  are — more  than  any  people,  more  even 
than  the  English,  whom  they  laugh  at  as  a  nation  of 
shopkeepers — a    money-making    race.     The    hourgeoise 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRKUR8.  21 

class,  the  shopkeepers,  the  small  proprietors  are  selfish 
in  the  extreme.  They  think  only  of  their  money,  their 
business,  and  their  comforts;  the  lower  class  are  perhaps 
better,  but  their  first  thoughts  will  be  how  the  war  will 
affect  themselves;  and  unless  there  is  some  chance  of 
the  enemy  approaching  their  homes,  driving  off  their 
cattle,  and  plundering  their  cottages,  they  will  look  on 
with  a  very  calm  eye  at  the  general  ruin.  I  believe, 
remember,  that  those  who  will  be  called  out  will  go,  and 
if  affairs  go  as  I  fear  that  they  will  do,  every  man  under 
fifty  years  old  in  France  will  have  to  go  out;  but  it  is 
not  enough  to  go  out.  For  a  war  like  this  it  will  require 
desperate  courage  and  endurance,  and  an  absolute  disre- 
gard of  life,  to  counterbalance  the  disadvantages  of  want 
of  discipline,  want  of  arms,  want  of  artillery,  and  want 
of  organization.  I  may  be  wrong,  I  hope  that  I  am  so; 
but  time  will  show." 

"And  do  you  think  that  there  is  any  chance  of  their 
coming  down  here,  as  well  as  of  going  to  Paris,  papa?" 
Percy  asked. 

"That  would  depend  upon  the  length  of  the  resistance, 
Percy.  If  France  holds  out,  and  refuses  to  grant  any 
terms  which  the  Prussians  might  try  to  impose  upon 
them,  they  may  overrun  half  the  country;  and  as  this 
town  is  directly  upon  their  way  for  Lyons,  the  second 
town  of  France,  they  are  exceedingly  likely  to  come  this 
way." 

"Well,  if  they  do,  papa,"  .Ralph  said,  with  heightened 
color,  "I  feel  sure  that  every  man  who  can  carry  a  gun 
will  go  out,  and  that  every  home  will  be  defended." 

"We  shall  see,  Ralph,"  Captain  Barclay  said,  "we  shall 
see." 

Another  pause,  and  then  came  the  news  of  that  terri- 
ble three  days'  fighting,  on  the  14th,  16th,  and  18th, 
near  Metz,  when  Bazaine,  his  retreat  toward  Paris  cut 


THE  YOUNG-FRANC-TIREURB. 

off,  vainly  tried  to  force  his  way  through  the  Prussian 
army,  and  failing,  fell  back  into  Metz.  Even  now, 
when  the  position  was  well-nigh  desperate,  with  the  only 
great  army  remaining  shut  up  and  surrounded,  and  with 
nothing  save  the  fragment  of  MacMahon's  division,  with 
a  few  other  regiments  collected  in  haste,  and  the  new 
levies  encamped  at  Chalons,  between  the  victorious 
enemy  and  the  capital — the  people  of  Prance  were 
scarcely  awake  to  the  urgency  of  the  position.  The 
government  concealed  at  least  a  portion  of  the  truth, 
and  the  people  were  only  too  ready  to  be  deceived. 

In  Dijon,  however,  the  facts  were  better  known  and 
more  understood.  The  Swiss  newspapers  containing 
the  Prussian  official  telegrams  and  accounts  arrived 
daily,  and  those  who  received  them  speedily  spread  the 
news  through  the  town.  The  consternation  was  great 
and  general,  but  there  was  no  sign  of  despair.  Those  of 
the  Mobiles  who  were  armed  and  equi^ed  were  sent  off 
at  once  to  Chalons.  At  every  corner  of  the  street  were 
placards  calling  out  the  Mobiles  and  soldiers  who  had 
served  their  time,  and  although  not  yet  called  to  arms, 
the  National  Guard  drilled  in  the  Place  d'Armes  morn- 
ing and  evening. 

"You  will  allow,  Richard,  that  you  were  mistaken  as 
to  the  patriotism  of  the  people,"  Mrs.  Barclay  said  one 
evening  to  her  husband.  "Every  one  is  rushing  to 
arms." 

"They  are  coming  out  better  than  I  had  expected, 
Melanie,  but  at  the  same  time  you  will  observe  that  they 
have  no  choice  in  the  matter.  The  Mobiles  are  called 
out,  and  have  to  go.  All  who  can  raise  the  most  frivo- 
lous pretext  for  exemption,  do  so.  There  is  a  perfect 
rush  of  young  men  to  the  Prefecture  to  obtain  places  in 
the  clothing,  medical,  arming,  and  equipping  depart- 
ments, in  any  sort  of  service,  in  fact,  which  will  exempt 


THE  YOUNG  BmANC-TIREUES.  23 

its  holder  trom  taking  up  arms.  At  the  same  time,, 
there  is  a  great  deal  of  true,  earnest  patriotism.  Many 
married  men  with  families  have  volunteered,  and  those 
belonging  to  the  categories  called  out  do  go,  as  you  say, 
cheerfully  if  not  willingly;  and  once  enrolled  appear 
determined  to  do  their  duty.  France  will  need  all  the 
patriotism  and  all  the  devotion  of  her  people  to  get 
through  the  present  crisis.  There  is  no  saying  how  it 
will  end.  I  have  no  hope  whatever  that  MacMahon's 
new  army  can  arrest  the  march  of  the  enemy,  and  his 
true  course  is  to  fall  back  upon  Paris.  Our  chance  here 
of  remaining  free  from  a  visit  of  the  enemy  depends 
entirely  upon  the  length  of  time  which  Strasburg  and 
Metz  hold  out,  Bazaine  may  be  able  to  cut  his  way 
out,  but  at  any  rate,  he  is  likely  to  remain  where  he  is 
for  some  little  time,  under  the  walls  of  Metz,  for  he 
occupies  the  attention  of  a  considerably  larger  force 
than  that  which  he  commands.  The  vital  point  at 
present  is  to  cut  the  roads  behind  the  Germans.  If  it 
were  not  for  this  cork  leg  of  mine,  Melanie,  I  would  try 
and  raise  a  small  guerrilla  corps,  and  set  out  on  my  own 
account.  I  have  lived  here  for  seventeen  years  now, 
and  the  French  fought  by  our  side  in  the  Crimea;  could 
I  do  so,  I  should  certainly  fight  for  France  now.  It  is 
clearly  the  duty  of  any  one  who  can  carry  a  musket  to 
go  out." 

Just  at  this  moment  the  door  opened,  and  Ralph  and 
Percy  entered  hastily.  They  both  looked  excited,  but 
serious. 

"What  is  it,  boys?" 
'  "Papa,"  Ralph  said,  "there  is  a  notice  up,  signed  by 
your  friend  Captain  Tempe.  He  calls  for  a  hundred 
volunteers  to  join  a  corps  of  Franc-Tireurs,  a  sort  of 
guerrillas,  I  believe,  to  go  out  to  harass  the  Germans, 
and  cut   their  communication.     Those  who  can  a^ts  to 


24  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUB8. 

provide  their  own  arms  and  equipments,  a  meeting  is  to 
be  held  to-night  for  subscribing  the  money  for  those 
who  cannot  afford  to  do  so.  We  have  come  to  ask  you 
to  let  us  join,  papa;  Louis  and  Philippe  have  just  gone 
to  ask  uncle's  leave." 

Captain  Barclay  listened  in  silence  with  a  very  grave 
face.  Their  mother  sat  down  in  a  chair  with  a  white 
face. 

"Oh,  my  boys,  you  are  too  young,"  she  gasped  out. 

"We  are  stronger,  mamma,  than  a  great  many  of  the 
men  who  have  been  called  out,  and  taller  and  stouter  in 
every  way;  we  can  walk  better  than  the  greater  portion 
of  them.  We  are  accustomed  to  exercise  and  fatigue, 
we  are  far  more  fit  to  be  soldiers  than  many  young  men 
who  have  gone  from  here.  You  said  yourself,  mamma, 
that  every  one  who  could  carry  a  gun  ought  to  go  out." 

"But  you  are  not  French  boys,"  Mrs.  Barclay  said 
piteously. 

"We  are  half-French,  mamma.  Not  legally,  but  it  has 
been  home  to  us  since  we  were  born;  and  even  if  you 
had  not  been  French,  we  ought  to  fight  for  her." 

Mrs.  Barclay  looked  at  her  husband  for  assistance,  but 
Captain  Barclay  had  leaned  his  face  in  his  hands,  and 
said  nothing. 

"Ah,  Ealph;  but  Percy  at  least,  he  is  only  fifteen." 

"I  am  nearly  as  big,  nearly  as  strong  as  Ralph, 
mamma.  Besides,  would  it  not  be  better  to  have  two  of 
us?  If  one  is  ill  or— or  wounded  the  other  could  look 
after  him,  you  know.  Mamma,  dearest,  we  have  talked 
it  over,  and  we  think  we  ought  to  go.  We  are  very 
strong  for  our  ages,  and  it  is  strength,  not  years,  which 
matters.  Mamma,  you  said  a  Frenchwoman  should  not 
grudge  those  she  loves  to  France,  and  that  if  France  was 
invaded,  all,  even  the  women,  should  go  out." 

Mrs,  Barclay  was  silent;  she  could  not  speak.     She 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRETJRS.  25 

•was  so  deadly  pale,  and  her  face  had  such  an  expression 
•f  misery  that  the  boys  felt  their  resolution  wavering. 

Captain  Barclay  looked  up.  "Boys,"  he  said  very 
gravely,  "I  have  one  question  to  ask  which  you  will 
answer  me  truly  upon  your  faith  and  honor.  Do  you 
wish  to  go  merely,  or  principally,  from  a  desire  to  see  the 
excitement  and  the  adventure  of  a  guerrilla  war,  or  do 
you  go  out  because  you  desire  earnestly  to  do  your  best 
to  defend  the  country  in  which  you  were  born  and 
lived?  Are  you  prepared  to  suffer  any  hardship,  and,  if 
it  is  the  will  of  God,  to  die  for  her?" 

"We  are,  papa,"  both  boys  said.  And  Ealph  went  on: 
"When  we  first  talked  over  the  possibility  of  every  one 
being  called  out,  and  of  our  going  too,  we  did  look  upon 
it  as  a  case  of  fun  and  excitement;  but  when  the  chance 
really  came,  we  saw  how  serious  it  was,  we  knew  how 
much  it  would  cost  you  and  dear  mamma,  and  we  should 
not  have  asked  you  had  we  not  felt  that  we  ought  to  go, 
even  if  we  knew  we  should  be  killed." 

"In  that  case,  boys,"  Captain  Barclay  said  solemnly, 
rising  and  laying  one  hand  on  the  shoulder  of  each  of 
his  sons,  "In  that  case  I  say  no  more.  You  are  a 
soldier's  sons,  and  your  example  may  do  good.  It  is 
your  duty,  and  that  of  every  one,  to  fight  for  his  coun- 
try. I  give  you  my  full  consent  to  go.  I  should  not 
have  advised  it;  at  your  age  there  was  no  absolute  duty; 
still,  if  you  feel  it  so,  I  will  not  stand  in  your  way.  Go, 
then,  my  boys,  and  may  God  watch  over  you  and  keep 
you,  and  send  you  safe  home  again." 

So  saying,  he  kissed  them  both  on  the  forehead,  and 
walked  from  the  room  without  saying  another  word. 

Then  the  boys  turned  to  their  mother,  who  was  crying 
silently,  and,  falling  upon  her  neck,  they  kissed  her  and 
cried  with  her.  It  was  understood  that  her  consent  was 
given  with  their  father's.     Milly  coming  in  and  hearing 


26  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  URS. 

■what  was  the  matter,  sat  down  in  sudden   grief  and 
astonishment  on  the  nearest  chair,  and  cried  bitterly. 

It  was  a  sad  half-hour,  and  the  boys  were  almost  in- 
clined to  regret  that  they  had  asked  for  leave  to  go. 
However,  there  was  no  drawing  back  now,  and  when 
they  left  their  mother,  they  went  on  to  tell  their  cousins 
that  they  were  going.  They  found  Louis  and  Philippe 
in  a  state  of  great  disappointment  because  their  father 
had  altogether  refused  to  listen  to  their  entreaties. 
Upon  hearing,  however,  that  Ralph  and  Percy  were 
going  they  gained  fresh  hope;  for  they  said,  if  English 
boys  could  go  and  fight  for  France,  it  was  shameful  that 
French  boys  should  stay  at  home  in  idleness. 

Captain  Barclay,  after  giving  permission  to  his  sons 
to  go  as  Franc-Tireurs,  first  went  for  a  walk  by  himself, 
to  think  over  the  consequences  of  his  decision.  He 
then  went  down  into  Dijon  and  called  upon  Captain 
Tempe. 

The  commander  of  the  proposed  corps  had  served  for 
many  years  in  the  Zouaves,  and  was  known  to  be  an  able 
and  energetic  officer.  He  had  left  the  service  five  or  six 
years  previously  upon  his  marriage.  He  lived  a  short 
distance  only  from  Captain  Barclay,  and  a  warm  friend- 
ship had  sprung  up  between  them.  Upon  Captain  Bar- 
clay telling  him  why  he  had  come  to  see  him,  Captain 
Tempe  expressed  his  satisfaction  at  the  decision  of  the 
young  Barclays. 

"I  have  already  the  names  of  one  or  two  lads,  little  if 
any  older  than  your  eldest  boy/'  he  said;  "and  although 
the  other  is  certainly  very  young,  yet  as  he  is  very  stout 
and  strong  for  his  age,  I  have  no  doubt  he  will  bear  the 
fatigue  as  well  as  many  of  the  men." 

"I  wish  I  could  go  with  you,"  Captain  Barclay  said. 

"I  wish  you  could  indeed,"  Captain  Tempe  replied 
warmly;  "but  with  your  leg  you  never  could  keep  up  on 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  £T 

foot,  and  a  horse  would  be  out  of  the  question  among 
the  forests  of  the  Vosges  Mountains.  You  might,  how- 
ever, if  you  will,  be  of  great  use  in  assisting  me  to  drill 
and  discipline  my  recruits  before  starting." 

"That  I  will  do  with  pleasure,"  Captain  Barclay  said. 
"I  had  been  thinking  of  offering  my  services  in  that  way 
to  the  municipality,  as  very  few  of  the  officers  of  the 
Mobiles,  still  less  of  the  National  Guard,  know  their 
duty;  as  it  is,  I  will  devote  myself  to  your  corps  till  they 
march.  In  the  first  place,  how  strong  do  you  mean 
them  to  be?" 

"One  strong  company,  say  one  hundred  and  twenty 
men,"  Captain  Tempe  answered.  "More  than  that 
would  be  too  unwieldy  for  guerrilla  work.  I  should  rather 
have  twenty  less  than  more;  indeed  I  should  be  quite 
satisfied  with  a  hundred.  If  I  find  that  volunteers  come 
in  in  greater  numbers  than  I  can  accept,  I  shall  advise 
them  to  get  up  other  similar  corps.  There  ought  to  be 
scores  of  small  parties,  hanging  upon  the  rear  flank  of 
the  enemy,  and  interrupting  his  communication." 

"How  do  you  think  of  arming  them?" 

"Either  with  chassepots  or  with  your  English  rifles. 
It  is  of  no  use  applying  to  government — they  will  not  be 
able  to  arm  the  Mobiles  for  months,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  National  Guard.  We  must  buy  the  rifles  in  Eng- 
land or  Belgium.  It  will  be  difficult  to  get  chassepots, 
so  I  think  the  best  plan  will  be  to  decide  at  once  upon 
your  Sniders." 

"I  know  a  gentleman  who  is  connected  with  these 
matters  in  England,  and  will,  if  you  like,  send  out  an 
order  at  once  for  say  eleven  dozen  Sniders  to  be  for- 
warded via  Rouen,  and  thence  by  rail." 

"I  should  be  very  glad  if  you  would  do  so,"  Captain 
Tempe  said.  "I  have  no  doubt  about  getting  that 
number  of  recruits  easily  enough.     I  have  had  a  good 


28  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

many  calls  already  this  morning,  and  several  thousand 
francs  of  subscription  have  been  promised.  In  another 
three  ^or  four  days  the  money  will  be  ready,  so  if  yon 
write  to  your  friends  to  make  an  agreement  with  a  manu- 
facturer, I  can  give  you  the  money  by  the  time  his 
answer  arrives*.  When  the  guns  arrive  those  who  can 
pay  for  them  will  do  so,  and  the  rest  will  be  paid  for  by 
the  subscriptions.  Of  course  we  shall  want  them  com- 
plete with  bayonets.  If  at  the  same  time  you  can  order 
ammunition,  say  two  hundred  rounds  for  each  rifle,  it 
would  be  perhaps  a  saving  of  time,  as  the  government 
may  not  be  able  to  supply  any  at  first.  However,  after 
the  meeting  this  evening  I  shall  see  how  the  subscriptions 
-come  in,  and  we  can  settle  on  these  points  to-morrow. 
The  municipality  will  help,  I  have  no  doubt.'" 
i     ""What  is  your  idea  as  to  equipment,  Tempe?" 

"As  light  as  possible.  Nothing  destroys  the  go  of 
men  more  than  to  be  obliged  to  carry  heavy  weights  on 
their  shoulders.  We  shall  be  essentially  guerrillas.  Our 
attacks  to  be  successful  must  be  surprises.  Speed, 
therefore,  and  the  power  to  march  long  distances  are  the 
first  of  essentials.  I  do  not  propose  to  carry  knapsacks, 
mere  haversacks,  bags  capable  of  containing  a  spare 
shirt,  a  couple  of  pairs  of  socks,  and  three  days"  biscuits. 
Each  man  must  also  carry  a  spare  pair  of  boots  strapped 
to  his  belt  behind.  A  thick  blanket  with  a  hole  cut  for 
the  head,  so  as  to  make  a  cloak  by  day,  a  cover  by  night, 
will  be  carried,  rolled  up  over  our  shoulder  like  a  scarf, 
and  each  man  should  carry  a  light  waterproof  coat.  I 
do  not  propose  to  take  even  tents  d'abri.  They  add 
considerably  to  the  weight,  and  unless  when  we  are 
-actually  engaged  in  expeditions,  we  shall  make  our  head- 
quarters at  some  village,  when  the  men  can  be  dispersed 
among  the  cottages,  or  sleep  in  stables  or  barns.  When 
on  expeditions  they  must  sleep  in  the  open  air.'* 


THE  YOUNG  FRANG-T1RKUHS.  29 

"I  quite  approve  of  your  pla.11,"  Captain  Barclay  said. 
"Exclusive  of  his  rifle  and  ammunition  the  weight 
need  not  be  above  fifteen  pounds  a  man,  and  with  this 
they  ought  to  be  able  to  march  and  fight  with  comfort. 
The  way  your  soldiers  march  out,  laden  like  beasts  of 
burden,  is  absurd.  It  is  impossible  for  men  either  to 
march  or  fight  with  a  heavy  load  upon  their  backs." 

"Have  you  thought  about  uniform?" 

"No,  I  have  not  settled  at  all;  I  thought  of  letting 
the  men  fix  upon  one  of  their  own  choice." 

"Do  nothing  of  the  sort,"  Captain  Barclay  said. 
"The  men  will  only  think  of  what  is  most  becoming  or 
picturesque.  You  cannot  do  better  than  fix  upon  some 
good  serviceable  uniform  of  a  dark-grayish  color,  some- 
thing similar  to  that  of  some  of  our  English  Volunteer 
Corps.  I  will  give  you  a  drawing  of  it.  Let  the  tunics 
be  made  of  a  thick  and  good  cloth;  let  the  men  have 
short  trousers,  or,  as  we  call  them,  knickerbockers,  with 
leather  gaiters  and  lace  boots;  the  shoes  of  your  soldiers 
are  altogether  a  mistake.  I  will  bring  you  a  sketch  to- 
morrow, and  you  will  see  that  it  is  neat  as  well  as 
serviceable." 

"Thank  you.  By  the  way,.  I  suppose  that  you  have 
no  objection  to  my  mentioning  at  the  meeting  this  even- 
ing that  your  sons  have  joined.  If  there  should  be  any 
inclination  to  hang  back,  which  I  hope  there  will  not  be, 
the  fact  that  your  boys  have  joined  may  decide  many 
who  would  otherwise  hesitate." 

"Certainly.  I  will  not  detain  you  longer  at  present. 
I  shall  see  you  in  a  day  or  two,  and  any  assistance  which 
I  can  give  is  at  your  service." 

"Thanks  very  much.  I  only  wish  that  you  could  go 
with  ns.  Good-by.  Tell  the  boys  that  their  names  are 
down,  and  that  we  shall  begin  drill  in  a  day  or  two." 


30  TBE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUm. 


CHAPTER    III. 

DEATH   TO  THE  SPY! 

The  next  morning  Madame  Duburg  arrived  at  ten 
o'clock,  an  hour  at  which  she  had  never,  as  far  as  Mrs. 
Barclay  knew,  turned  out  of  her  house  since  her  mar- 
riage. She  was  actually  walking  fast,  too;  it  was  evident 
that  something  serious  was  the  matter. 

Mrs.  Barclay  was  in  the  garden,  and  her  visitor  came 
straight  out  from  the  house  to  her. 

"Is  anything  the  matter?,,  was  Mrs.  Barclay's  first 
question. 

"Yes,  a  great  deal  is  the  matter,"  Madame  Duburg 
began  vehemently.  "You  and  your  English  husband 
are  mad,  your  wretched  boys  are  mad.  They  have  made 
my  sons  mad  also  and,  my  faith,  I  believe  that  my  hus- 
band will  catch  it.     It  is  enough  to  make  me  also  mad." 

Notwithstanding  the  trouble  in  which  Mrs.  Barclay 
was  at  the  resolution  of  her  sons,  she  could  scarcely  help 
smiling  at  the  excitement  of  Madame  Duburg,  the  cause 
of  which  she  at  once  guessed.  However,  she  asked  with 
an  air  of  astonishment,  "My  dear  sister-in-law,  what  can 
you  be  talking  about?" 

"I  know  what  I  say,"  Madame  Duburg  continued;  "I 
always  said  that  you  were  mad,  you  and  your  husband, 
to  let  your  boys  go  about  and  play  and  tear  and  bruise 
themselves  like  wild  Indians.  I  always  knew  that  harm 
would  come  of  it,  when  I  saw  my  boys  come  in  hot,  oh. 
so  unpleasantly  hot  to  look  at,  but  I  did  not  think  of 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREUR8.  31 

such  harm  as  this;  my  faith,  it  is  incredible.  When  I 
heard  that  you  were  to  marry  yourself  to  an  English- 
man, I  said  at  once,  it  is  bad,  harm  will  come  of  it. 
These  English  are  islanders,  they  are  eccentric,  they  are 
mad.  They  sell  their  wives  in  the  market  with  a  cord 
round  their  necks." 

"My  dear  sister-in-law,"  Mrs.  Barclay  interrupted,  "I 
have  so  often  assured  you  that  that  absurd  statement 
was  entirely  false  and  due  only  to  the  absolute  ignorance 
of  our  nation  of  everything  outside  itself." 

"I  have  heard  it  often,"  Madame  Duburg  went  on 
positively;  "they  are  a  nation  of  singularities.  I  doubt 
not  that  it  is  true;  he  has  hidden  the  truth  from  you. 
True  or  false  I  care  not.  They  are  mad.  For  this  I 
care  not.  My  faith,  I  have  not  married  an  Englishman. 
"Why,  then,  should  I  care  for  the  madness  of  this  nation 
of  islanders?  This  I  said  when  I  heard  that  you  were 
to  marry  an  Englishman.  Could  I  imagine  that  I  also 
was  to  become  a  victim?  Could  I  suppose  that  my 
husband,  a  man  sensible  in  most  things,  would  also  be- 
come mad;  that  my  boys  would  grow  up  like  young 
savages,  and  would  offer  themselves  to  go  out  to  sleep 
without  beds,  to  catch  colds,  to  have  red  noses  and 
coughs;  perhaps  even,  my  faith,  to  be  killed  by  the  balls 
of  German  pigs?  My  word  of  honor,  I  ask  myself,  am  I 
living  in  France,  am  I  asleep,  am  I  dreaming,  am  I,  too, 
mad?  I  said  to  myself,  I  shall  go  to  my  sister-in-law 
and  I  will  demand  of  her,  is  it  possible  that  these  things 
are  true?" 

"If  you  mean  by  all  this,  sister-in-law,  is  it  true  that 
I  have  consented  to  my  boys  going  out  to  fight  for 
France,  it  is  quite  true,"  Mrs.  Barclay  said  quietly. 

Madame  Duburg  sat  down  upon  a  garden  seat,  raised 
her  hands,  and  nodded  her  head  slowly  and  solemnly, 
"She  says  it  is  true,  she  actually  says  that  it  is  true." 


32  THE  YOUNG  FRANC- TIRE  UBS. 

"Why  should  they  not  go?"  Mrs.  Barclay  continued 
quietly.  "They  are  strong  enough  to  carry  arms,  and 
why  should  they  not  go  out  to  defend  their  country? 
In  a  short  time  it  is  likely  that  every  one  who  can  carry 
arms  will  have  to  go.  I  shall  miss  them  sorely:  it  is  a 
terrible  trial;  but  other  women  have  to  see  their  sons  go 
out,  why  should  not  I?" 

"Because  there  is  no  occasion  for  it  at  all,"  Madame 
Duburg  said  angrily;  "because  they  are  boys  and  not 
men,  because  their  father  is  English;  and  stupid  men 
like  my  husband  will  say,  if  these  young  English  boys 
go  it  will  be  a  shame  upon  us  for  our  own  to  remain 
behind.  What,  I  ask  you,  is  the  use  of  being  well  off; 
what  is  the  use  of  paying  taxes  for  an  army,  if  our  boys 
must  fight?  It  is  absurd,  it  is  against  reason,  it  is 
atrocious." 

Mrs.  Duburg's  anger  and  remonstrance  were  alike  lost 
upon  Mrs.  Barclay,  and  she  cut  her  visitor  short.  "My 
dear  sister-in-law,  it  is  of  no  use  our  arguing  or  talking. 
I  consider,  rightly  or  wrongly,  that  the  claims  of  our 
country  stand  before  our  private  convenience  or  incon- 
venience. If  I  were  a  man,  I  should  certainly  go  out  to 
fight;  why  should  not  my  boys  do  so  if  they  choose?  At 
any  rate,  I  have  given  my  consent,  and  it  is  too  late  to 
draw  back,  even  if  I  wished  to  do  so,  which  I  say  frankly 
that  I  do  not." 

Madame  Duburg  took  her  departure  much  offended, 
and  late  in  the  evening  her  husband  came  in,  and  had  a 
long  talk  with  Captain  Barclay. 

The  following  morning  Louis  and  Philippe  came  in  in 
a  high  state  of  delight  to  say  that  their  father  had  that 
morning  given  his  consent  to  their  going.  In  three 
days  after  the  opening  of  the  list,  a  hundred  and  twenty 
men  had  inscribed  their  names,  and  Captain  Tempe 
refused  to  admit  more.     Numbers  were,  he  argued,  a 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  33 

source  of  weakness  rather  than  of  strength  when  the  men 
were  almost  entirely  ignorant  of  drill.  For  sudden 
attacks,  for  night  marches,  for  attacks  upon  convoys, 
number  is  less  needed  than  dash  and  speed.  Among 
large  bodies  discipline  cannot  be  kept  up  except  by 
immense  severity  upon  the  part  of  the  officers,  or  by  the 
existence  of  that  feeling  of  discipline  and  obedience 
among  the  men,  which  is  gained  only  by  long  custom  to 
military  habits.  Besides  which  the  difficulty  of  obtaining 
provisions  for  a  large  body  of  men  would  be  enormous. 
Indeed  Captain  Tempe  determined  to  organize  even  this 
small  corps  into  four  companies  each  of  thirty  men,  to 
act  under  one  head,  and  to  join  together  upon  all  occa- 
sions of  important  expeditions,  but  at  other  times  to  be 
divided  among  villages  at  such  distance  as  would  enable 
them  to  watch  a  large  extent  of  country,  each  company 
sending  out  scouts  and  outposts  in  its  own  neighborhood. 
By  far  the  larger  proportion  of  those  who  joined  were 
either  proprietors,  or  the  sons  of  proprietors  in  and 
around  Dijon.  At  that  time  government  had  made  no 
arrangement  whatever  concerning  franc-tireurs,  and  no 
pay  was  therefore  available.  The  invitation  was  there- 
fore specially  to  those  willing  and  able  to  go  out  upon 
their  own  account  and  at  their  own  expense.  Other 
recruits  had  been  invited,  but  as  these  could  join  the 
regular  forces  and  receive  pay  and  other  advantages,  the 
number  who  sent  in  their  names  was  small.  The  men 
who  did  so  were  for  the  most  part  picked  men,  foresters, 
woodcutters,  and  others  who  preferred  the  certainty  of 
active  and  stirring  service  among  the  franc-tireurs  to 
the  pay  and  comparative  monotony  of  the  regular  serv- 
ice. There  were  some  forty  of  these  men  among  the 
corps,  the  rest  being  all  able  to  provide  at  least  their 
outfit.  Subscriptions  had  come  in  rapidly,  and  in  a 
week  an  ample  sum  was  collected  to  arm  and  equip  all 


34  THE  YOUNG  FRAXC-TIREURS. 

those  not  able  to  do  so  for  themselves,  and  to  form  a 
military  chest  sufficient  to  pay  for  the  food  of  the  whole 
corps  in  the  field  for  some  time. 

When  the  list  of  volunteers  was  complete,  a  meeting 
was  held  at  which  for  the  first  time  the  future  comrades 
met. 

Besides  Ealph  and  Percy  and  their  cousins  there  were 
six  or  eight  others  of  their  school  friends,  all  lads  of 
about  sixteen.  It  was  an  important  moment  in  their 
lives,  when  they  then  felt  themselves,  if  not  actually  men, 
at  least  as  going  to  do  the  work  of  men.  Upon  the  table 
in  the  room  in  which  the  meeting  was  held  wa3  a  docu- 
ment which  each  in  turn  was  to  sign,  and  behind  this 
Captain  Tempe  took  his  seat. 

As  many  of  those  present  knew  each  other,  there  was 
a  considerable  buzz  and  talk  in  the  room  until  Captain 
Tempe  tapped  the  table  for  silence,  and  then  rose  to 
speak. 

"My  friends,"  he  began,  "for  I  cannot  call  you  com- 
rades until  you  have  formally  entered  your  names,  before 
you  irrevocably  commit  yourself  to  this  affair  I  wish  you 
each  to  know  exactly  what  it  is  that  we  are  going  to  do. 
This  will  be  no  holiday  expedition.  I  can  promise  all 
who  go  with  me  plenty  of  excitement  and  a  great  deal  of 
fighting,  but  I  can  also  promise  them  with  equal  cer- 
tainty an  immense  deal  of  suffering,  an  amount  of  hard- 
ship and  privation  of  which  at  present  few  here  have  any 
idea  whatever.  The  winter  is  fast  coming  on,  and  winter 
in  the  Vosges  Mountains  is  no  trifle.  Let  no  one,  then, 
put  down  his  name  here  who  is  not  prepared  to  suffer 
every  hardship  which  it  is  well  possible  to  suffer.  As  to 
the  danger  I  say  nothing.  You  are  Frenchmen,  and 
have  come  forward  to  die  if  needs  be  for  your  country." 
Here  the  speaker  was  interrupted  by  loud  cheering  and 
cries  of  "Vive   la  France."     "Next,   as  to   discipline. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC- TIBEUR8.  35 

This  is  an  extremely  important  point."  In  our  absence 
from  military  stations,  it  is  essential  that  we  ourselves 
should  keep  and  enforce  the  strictest  discipline.  I  have 
this  morning  received  from  General  Palikao,  under 
whom  I  served  for  many  years,  an  answer  to  an  applica- 
tion I  wrote  to  him  a  week  since.  He  highly  approves 
of  my  plan  of  cutting  the  roads  behind  the  Prussians, 
and  only  wishes  that  he  had  a  hundred  small  corps  out 
upon  the  same  errand.  He  has  already  received  other 
proposals  of  the  same  nature.  He  inclosed  with  his 
letter  my  formal  appointment  as  Commandant  of  the 
Corps  of  Franc-Tireurs  of  Dijon,  with  full  military 
authority  and  power."  Great  cheering  again  broke  out. 
"This  power,  in  case  of  need,  I  *varn  yau  that  I  shall  use 
unhesitatingly.  Discipline  in  a  corps  like  ours  is  every- 
thing. There  must  be  no  murmuring  under  hardships, 
no  hesitation  in  obeying  any  order,  however  unpleasant. 
Prompt,'  willing,  cheerful  obedience  when  at  work,  a 
warm  friendship  and  perfect  good-fellowship  at  other 
times:  this  is  my  programme."  The  speaker  was  again 
interrupted  with  hearty  cheering.  "I  intend  to  divide 
the  corps  into  four  companies,  each  of  thirty  men.  Each 
company  will  have  an  officer,  and  will  at  times  act  inde- 
pendently of  each  other.  I  have  deliberated  whether  it 
is  best  to  allow  each  company  to  chose  its  own  officer,  or 
whether  to  nominate  them  myself.  I  have  determined 
to  adopt  the  latter  course.  You  can  hardly  be  such 
good  judges  as  to  the  qualities  required  by  officers  dur- 
ing an  expedition  like  the  present  as  I  am;  and  as  I  know 
every  man  here,  and  as  I  shall  have  the  opportunity  of 
seeing  more  of  each  man  during  the  three  weeks  which 
we  shall  spend  here  upon  drill,  I  shall  then  choose  an 
officer  for  each  company,  but  I  will  leave  it  to  each  com- 
pany to  decide  whether  to  accept  my  choice  or  not. 
There  may  be  points  in  a  man's  character  which  may 


36  THE  TO  UNO  FRANG-TIREURS. 

make  him  unpopular.  Now  as  to  drill.  We  have  three 
weeks  before  us.  Not  long  enough  to  make  men  good 
soldiers,  but  amply  sufficient,  with  hard  work,  to  make 
them  good  skirmishers.  I  have  already  arranged  with 
four  men,  who  have  served  as  non-commissioned  officers 
in  the  army,  one  of  whom  will  take  each  company.  Cap- 
tain Barclay,  who  is  well  known  to  most  of  you,  has 
kindly  offered  to  give  musketry  instruction  for  four 
hours  each  morning.  Ten  men  of  each  company  will  go 
each  morning  for  a  week  to  drill  at  the  range;  so  that  in 
three  weeks  each  man  will  have  had  a  week's  instruction. 
The  hours  will  be  from  seven  to  eleven.  The  others  will 
drill  during  the  same  hours.  All  will  drill  together  in 
the  afternoon  from  three  to  six.  The  officer  command- 
ing the  troops  here  has  'promised  us  the  loan  of  a  hun- 
dred and  twenty  old  guns  which  are  in  store,  and  also  of 
twenty  chassepots  for  rifle  practice.  That  is  all  I  have 
to  say.  All  who  are  ready  and  willing  to  enter  upon 
these  terms  can  now  sign  their  names;  those  who  are  not 
perfectly  sure  of  their  own  willingness  can  draw  back 
before  it  is  too  late." 

When  the  cheering  ceased  each  man  came  forward  and 
signed  his  name. 

"The  first  parade  will  take  place  at  seven  to-morrow 
morning  in  the  Place  d'Armes.  A  suit  of  uniform  com- 
plete will  be  exhibited  here  at  twelve  o'clock.  A  man 
has  offered  to  supply  them  at  contract  prices,  but  any 
who  prefer  it  can  have  it  made  by  their  own  tailor. 
Now,  good-night,  boys."  "Vive  les  Franc-Tireurs  du 
Dijon!"  "Vive  la  France!"  and  with  a  cheer  the  men 
separated. 

The  next  morning  the  corps  met,  and  were  divided 
into  companies.  The  division  was  alphabetical,  and  the 
young  Barclays  and  Duburgs  were  all  in  the  first  com- 
pany.    This  was  a  matter  of  great  pleasure  to  them,  as 


THE  YOU  NO  FRANC-TIREURS.  37 

^hey  had  been  afraid  that  they  might  have  been  sepa- 
rated. 

The  following  day  drill  began  in  earnest,  and  accus- 
tomed as  the  boys  were  to  exercise,  they  found  seven 
hours  a  day  hard  work  of  it.  Still  they  felt  it  very  much 
less  than  many  of  the  young  men  who  for  years  had  done 
little  but  lounge  in  cafes  or  stroll  at  the  promenade.  All, 
however,  stuck  to  their  work,  and  as  their  hearts  were  in 
it,  it  was  surprising  how  quickly  they  picked  up  the  rudi- 
ments of  drill.  Fortunately,  they  were  not  required  to 
learn  anything  beyond  the  management  of  their  firearms, 
the  simplest  movements,  and  the  duty  of  skirmishers,  as 
all  complicated  maneuvers  would  have  been  useless  in  a 
small  corps  whose  duties  would  be  confined  entirely  to 
skirmishing.  With  this  branch  of  their  work  Captain 
Tempe  was  determined  that  they  should  be  thoroughly 
acquainted;  and  they  were  taught  how  to  use  cover  of  all 
kinds  with  advantage,  how  to  defend  a  building,  crene- 
late  a  wall,  fell  trees  to  form  an  obstacle  across  roads  or 
a  breastwork  in  front  of  them,  and  how  to  throw  them- 
selves into  square  rapidly  to  repel  cavalry. 

Captain  Barclay  was  indefatigable  as  a  musketry 
instructor,  and  with  the  aid  of  a  few  friends  got  up  a 
subscription  which  was  spent  in  a  number  of  small 
prizes,  so  as  to  give  the  men  as  much  interest  as  possible 
in  their  work.  Captain  Tempe  impressed  most  strenu- 
ously upon  the  men  the  extreme  importance  of  profi- 
ciency in  shooting,  as  it  was  upon  the  accuracy  and  deadli- 
ness  of  their  fire  that  they  would  have  to  rely  to  enable 
them  to  contend  with  superior  forces  in  the  combats  they 
would  have  to  go  through,  and  each  man  would  probably 
have  frequently  to  depend  for  his  life  upon  the  accuracy 
of  his  fire. 

The  original  plan  of  instructing  a  third  of  the  men 
each  week  in  musketry  was  abandoned,  and  the  parties 


38  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

were  changed  each  day  in  order  to  enable  all  to  advance 
at  an  equal  rate.  Besides,  their  ammunition  was  sup- 
plied, so  that  those  who  chose  to  do  so  could  practice 
shooting  for  their  own  amusement  between  their  morn- 
ing and  afternoon  drill.  The  Barclays  were  constant  in 
their  attendance  at  the  shooting-ground,  and  the  steady 
hand  and  eye  which  cricket,  fencing,  and  other  exercises 
had  given  them  now  stood  them  in  good  stead,  for  by  the 
end  of  the  time  they  became  as  good  marksmen  as  any  in 
the  corps. 

They  still  lived  at  home,  as  did  all  those  members  of 
the  corps  whose  residences  were  in  and  around  Dijon. 
For  those  who  lived  too  far  away  to  come  in  and  out 
every  day  to  drill,  a  large  empty  barn  was  taken,  and 
fitted  up  as  a  temporary  barracks. 

The  time  did  not  pass  away  without  great  excitement, 
for  as  the  end  of  August  drew  on  every  one  was  watching 
in  deep  anxiety  for  the  news  of  a  battle  near  Chalons, 
where  MacMahon  had  been  organizing  a  fresh  army. 
Then  came  the  news  that  the  camp  at  Chalons  was 
broken  up,  and  that  MacMahon  was  marching  to  the 
relief  of  Bazaine.  Two  or  three  days  of  anxious  expec- 
tation followed,  and  then,  on  the  3d  of  September, 
came  the  news,  through  Switzerland,  of  the  utter  defeat 
and  surrender  of  the  French  army  at  Sedan.  At  first  the 
news  seemed  too  terrible  to  be  true.  People  seemed 
stunned  at  the  thought  of  a  hundred  thousand  French- 
men laying  down  their  arms.  Two  days  later  came  the 
news  of  the  revolution  in  Paris.  This  exeited  various 
emotions  among  the  people,  but  the  prevailing  idea 
seemed  to  be  that,  now  there  was  a  republic,  past  dis- 
asters would  be  retrieved. 

^'What  do  you  think  of  the  news,  papa?"  the  boys 
asked,  as,  drill  over,  they  hurried  up  to  talk  the  matter 
over  with  their  father. 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIBEUR3.  39 

\  "With  any  other  people  I  should  consider  it  to  be  the 
most  unfortunate  event  which  could  have  possibly 
eccurred,"  Captain  Barclay  said.  "A  change  of  govern- 
ment, involving  a  change  of  officials  throughout  all  the 
departments,  and  a  perfect  upset  of  the  whole  machinery 
of  organization,  appears  little  short  of  insanity.  At  the 
same  time  it  is  possible  that  it  may  arouse  such  a  burst 
©f  national  enthusiasm  that  the  resistance,  which,  as  far 
as  the  civil  population  is  concerned,  has  as  yet  been  con- 
temptible— in  fact,  has  not  been  attempted  at  all — may 
become  of  so  obstinate  and  desperate  a  character  that 
the  Prussians  may  be  fairly  wearied  out.  There  is 
scarcely  any  hope  of  future  victories  in  the  field.  Raw 
levies,  however  plucky,  can  be  no  match  for  such  troops 
as  the  Prussians  in  the  open.  The  only  hope  is  in  masses 
©f  franc-tireurs  upon  the  rear  and  flanks  of  the  enemy. 
Every  bridge,  every  wood,  every  village  should  be 
defended  to  the  death.  In  this  way  the  Prussians  would 
only  hold  the  ground  they  stand  on,  and  it  would  be 
absolutely  impossible  for  them  to  feed  their  immense 
armies,  or  to  bring  up  their  siege  materiel  against  Paris. 
The  spirit  to  do  this  may  possibly  be  excited  by  the  revo- 
lution; otherwise  France  is  lost.  Success  alone  can 
excuse  it,  for  a  more  senseless,  more  unjustifiable,  more 
shameful  revolution  was  in  my  mind  never  made.  It  has 
been  effected  purely  by  the  radicals  and  roughs  of  Paris, 
the  men  who  have  for  years  been  advocating  a  war  with 
Prussia,  and  who  a  month  ago  were  screaming  'To  Ber- 
lin! For  these  men  to  turn  round  upon  the  emperor 
in  his  misfortune,  and,  without  consulting  the  rest 
of  France,  to  effect  a  revolution,  is  in  my  mind  simply 
infamous.  Even  regarded  as  a  matter  of  policy,  it  is 
bad  in  the  extreme.  Austria,  Italy,  and  Russia,  to  say 
nothing  of  England,  would  sooner  or  later  have  inter- 
fered in  favor  of  an  established  empire,  but  their  sympa- 


40  THE  YOUNG  FBANC-TIREUHS. 

thies  will  be  chilled  by  this  revolution.  The  democratic 
party  in  all  these  countries  may  exult,  but  the  extreme 
democratic  party  do  not  hold  the  reins  of  power  any- 
where, and  their  monarchs  will  certainly  not  feel  called 
upon  to  assist  to  establish  a  republic.  Prussia  herself, 
intensely  aristocratic  in  her  institutions,  will  probably 
refuse  to  treat  altogether  with  the  schemers  who  have 
seized  the  power,  for  the  King  of  Prussia  is  perhaps  the 
greatest  hater  of  democracy  in  Europe.  Still,  boys, 
these  changes  make  no  difference  in  your  duty.  You 
are  fighting  for  France,  not  for  an  empire  or  a  republic; 
and  as  long  as  France  resists,  it  is  your  duty  to  continue. 
In  fact,  it  is  now  more  than  ever  the  duty  of  you  and  of 
every  Frenchman  to  fight.  Her  army  is  entirely  gone, 
and  it  is  simply  upon  the  pluck  and  energy  of  her  popu- 
lation that  she  has  to  trust." 

"Do  you  think  Paris  will  hold  out,  papa?" 
"She  is  sure  to  do  so,  boys.  She  has  made  the  revo- 
lution, and  she  is  bound  to  defend  it.  I  know  Paris 
well.  The  fortifications  are  far  too  strong  to  be  taken 
by  a  sudden  attack,  and  it  will  be  a  long  time  before  the 
Prussians  can  bring  up  a  siege  train.  Paris  will  only  be 
starved  out,  and  if  her  people  are  only  half  as  brave  as 
they  are  turbulent  they  ought  to  render  it  impossible  for 
the  Prussians  to  blockade  such  an  immense  circle.  At 
any  rate,  France  has  two  months,  perhaps  much  longer; 
but  two  months  ought  to  be  quite  enough,  if  her  people 
have  but  spirit  to  surround  the  enemy,  to  out  off  his 
supplies,  and  to  force  him  to  retreat." 

The  next  morning,  when  the  corps  assembled  for  drill, 
Captain  Tempe"  addressed  them  on  the  subject  of  the 
events  in  Paris.  He  told  them  that  whether  they 
approved  or  disapproved  of  what  had  taken  place  there, 
their  duty  as  Frenchmen  was  plain.  For  the  present  they 
were  not  politicians  but  patriots,  and  he  hoped  that  not 


THE- YO  UNO  FRANC-TIRE URS.  41 

y  word  of  politics  would  be  spoken  in  the  corps,  but  that 
eyery  one  would  give  his  whole  thought,  his  whole 
strength,  and,  if  must  be,  his  life,  in  the  cause  of  France. 
Ilk  address  was  greatly  applauded,  and  gave  immense 
satisfaction  to  the  men,  for  already  differences  of  opinion 
were  becoming  manifest  among  them.  Some  had  exulted 
loudly  at  the  downfall  of  Napoleon;  others  had  said 
little,  but  their  gloomy  looks  had  testified  sufficiently 
what  were  their  opinions;  while  many  among  the  gentle- 
men in  the  corps,  especially  those  belonging  to  old  fami- 
lies, were  well  known  to  be  attached  either  to  a  Legiti- 
mist or  Orleanist  prince.  The  proposal,  therefore,  that 
no  politics  should  be  discussed  during  the  war,  but  that 
all  should  remember  only  that  they  were  fighting  for 
France,  gave  great  satisfaction,  and  promised  a  continu- 
ance of  the  good-fellowship  which  had  hitherto  reigned 
in  the  corps. 

It  was  a  great  day  when,  a  fortnight  from  its  first 
organization,  the  corps  turned  out  for  the  first  time  in 
their  uniforms.  The  band  of  the  National  Guards 
headed  them  as  they  marched  down  the  high  street  of 
Dijgn  to  the  parade  ground;  and  as  the  spectators 
cheered,  the  ladies  waved  their  handkerchiefs,  and  the 
whole  corps  joined  in  cheers  to  the  stirring  notes  of  the 
"Marseillaise/*  the  young  Barclays  felt  their  cheeks  flush, 
their  hands  tighten  upon  their  rifles,  and  their  hearts 
beat  with  a  fierce  longing  to  be  face  to  face  with  the 
hated  Prussians. 

A  day  or  two  after  this  the  Snider  rifles  ordered  from 
England  by  Captain  Barclay  arrived,  and  although  the 
men  at  first  preferred  the  chassepots,  with  which  they 
were  familiar,  they  were  soon  accustomed  to  the  new 
weapons,  and  readily  acknowledged  the  advantage  which, 
as  their  commander  pointed  out  to  them,  the  dark-brown 
barrels  possessed  for  skirmishers  over  the  bright  barrels 


42  THE  YOUNG  PRANC-TIREURS. 

of  the  chassepots,  which,  with  the  sun  shining  upon 
them,  would  betray  them  to  an  enemy  miles  away. 

A  day  or  two  afterward,  as  Ealph  and  Percy  were 
returning  in  the  evening  from  drill,  they  heard  a  great 
tumult  in  the  streets.  They  hurried  forward  to  see  what 
was  the  matter,  and  found  an  excited  crowd  shouting  and 
gesticulating.  "Death  to  the  spy!"  "Death  to  the  spy!" 
"Hang  him!"  "Kill  the  dog!"  were  the  shouts,  and  two 
gensdarmes  in  the  center  of  the  crowd  were  vainly  trying 
to  protect  a  man  who  was  walking  between  them.  He 
was  a  tall,  powerful-looking  man,  but  it  was  impossible 
to  see  what  he  was  like,  for  the  blood  was  streaming 
down  his  forehead  from  a  blow  he  had  just  received. 

Just  as  the  boys  came  up  another  blow  from  a  stick 
fell  on  his  head,  and  this  served  to  rouse  him  to  despera- 
tion, for  he  turned  round,  with  one  blow  knocked  down 
the  fellow  who  had  struck  him,  and  then  commenced  a 
furious  attack  upon  his  persecutors.  For  a  moment  they 
drew  back,  and  then  closed  upon  him  again.  Blows 
from  sticks  and  hands  rained  upon  him,  but  he  struggled 
desperately.  At  last,  overwhelmed  by  numbers,  he  fell, 
and  as  he  did  so  he  raised  a  wild  shout,  "Hurro<*  for 
ould  Ireland." 

"He  is  an  Englishman,  Percy,"  Ralph  exclaimed;  "he 
is  not  a  Prussian  at  all.  Come  on!  Here,  Louis, 
Philippe,  help,  they  are  killing  a  Englishman." 

Followed  by  their  cousins,  who  had  just  arrived  at  the 
spot,  the  boys  made  a  rush  through  the  crowd,  and 
arrived  in  another  moment  by  the  prostrate  man,  whom 
his  assailants  were  kicking  savagely.  The  rush  of  the 
four  boys,  aided  by  the  butt-end  of  their  rifles,  which 
they  used  freely  on  the  ribs  of  those  who  stood  in  their 
way,  cleared  off  the  assailants  for  an  instant,  and  the  two 
gensdarmes,  who  had  been  hustled  away,  drawing  their 
swords,  again  took  their  place  by  the  side  of  their  insen- 
sible prisoner. 


THE  YOUNG  FRA.NV-T1REUR8.  43 

The  mob  had  only  recoiled  for  a  moment,  and  now, 
furious  at  being  balked  of  their  expected  prey,  prepared 
to  rush  upon  his  defenders,  shouting  as  they  did  so, 
"Death  to  the  spy!"  The  moment's  delay  had,  how- 
ever, given  time  to  the  boys  to  fix  bayonets. 

"Keep  off,"  Ealph  shouted,  "or  we  run  you  through! 
The  man  is  not  a  spy,  I  tell  you;  he  is  an  Englishman." 

The  noise  was  too  great  for  the  words  to  be  heard,  and 
with  cries  of  "Death  to  the  spy!"  the  men  in  front  pre- 
pared for  a  rush. 

The  leveled  bayonets  and  drawn  swords,  however, 
for  a  moment  checked  their  ardor;  but  those  behind 
kept  up  the  cry,  and  a  serious  conflict  would  have 
ensued  had  not  a  party  of  five  or  six  of  the  franc-tireurs 
come  along  at  the  moment.  These  seeing,  their  com- 
rades standing  with  leveled  bayonets  keeping  the  mob 
at  bay,  without  asking  any  questions,  at  once  burst  their 
way  through  to  their  side,  distributing  blows  right  and 
left  heartily  with  the  butt-end  of  their  rifles.  This  rein- 
forcement put  an  end  to  the  threatened  conflict,  and  the 
gensdarmes,  aided  by  two  of  the  franc-tireurs,  lifted  the 
insensible  man,  and  carried  him  to  the  Mairie,  the  rest 
of  the  franc-tireurs  marching  on  either  side  as  a  guard, 
and  the  yelling  crowd  following  them. 

Once  inside  the  Mairie,  the  gates  were  shut,  and  the 
supposed  spy  being  laid  down  on  the  bench,  cold  water 
was  dashed  in  his  face,  and  in  a  few  minutes  he  opened 
his  eyes. 

"The  murdering  villains!"  he  muttered  to  himself. 
"They've  kilt  me  entirely,  bad  luck  to  them!  A  hun- 
dred to  one,  the  cowardly  blackguards!  Where  am  I?" 
and  he  made  an  effort  to  rise. 

"You're  all  right,"  Ralph  said.  "You're  with 
friends.     Don't  be  afraid;  you're  safe  now." 

"Jabers!"  exclaimed  the   Irishman  in  astonishment, 


44  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

sitting  up  and  looking  round  him,  "here's  a  little 
French  soldier  speaking  as  illegant  English  as  I  do 
meself." 

"I'm  English,"  laughed  Ralph,  "and  luckily  it  was 
for  you  that  we  came  along.  We  heard  you  call  out  just 
as  you  fell,  and  got  in  in  time,  with  the  help  of  our 
friends,  to  save  your  life.  Another  minute  or  two  and 
we  should  have  been  too  late." 

"God  bless  your  honor!"  the  man,  who  had  now  thor- 
oughly recovered  himself,  said  earnestly.  "And  it  was 
a  tight  shave  entirely.  You've  saved  Tim  Doyle's  life, 
and  your  honor  shall  see  that  he's  not  ungrateful.  When- 
ever you  want  a  lad  with  a  strong  arm  and  a  thick  stick, 
Tim's  the  boy." 

"Thank  you,  Tim,"  Ralph  said  heartily.  "Now  you 
had  better  let  the  surgeon  look  at  your  head;  you  have 
got  some  nasty  cuts." 

"Sure,  and  my  head's  all  right,  your  honor.  It  isn't 
a  tap  from  a  Frenchman  that  would  break  the  skull  of 
Tim  Doyle." 

The  gensdarmes  now  intimated  that  as  the  prisoner 
was  restored  he  must  go  in  at  once  before  the  maire. 
The  young  Barclays  accompanied  him,  and  acted  as 
interpreters  at  the  examination.  The  story  was  a  sim- 
ple one,  and  the  passport  and  other  papers  upon  the 
Irishman  proved  its  truth  conclusively. 

Tim  was  an  Irishman,  who  had  come  out  as  groom 
with  an  English  gentleman.  His  master  had  fallen  ill 
at  Lyons,  had  parted  with  his  horses  and  carriage,  and 
returned  to  England.  Tim  had  accepted  the  offer  of 
the  horse  dealer  who  had  purchased  the  horses  to 
remain  in  his  service,  and  had  been  with  him  six 
months  when  the  war  broke  out.  He  had  picked  up  a 
little  French,  but  had  been  several  times  arrested  in 
Lyons  as  a  spy,  and  his  master  had  at  last  told  him  thai 


THE  YOUNG  fRANC-TIREURS.  45 

it  was  not  safe  for  him  to  remain,  and  that  he  had  better 
return  to  England.  He  had  reached  Dijon  on  that 
morning,  but  the  train,  instead  of  going  on,  had  been 
stopped,  as  large  numbers  of  Mobiles  were  leaving  for 
Paris,  and  the  ordinary  traffic  was  suspended.  Tim  had 
therefore  passed  the  day  strolling  about  Dijon.  The 
hour  had  approached  at  which  he  had  been  told  that  a 
train  might  leave,  and  Tim  had  asked  a  passer-by  the 
way  to  the  station.  His  broken  French  at  once  aroused 
suspicion.  A  crowd  collected  in  a  few  minutes,  and 
Tim  was  in  the  first  place  saved  from  being  attacked  by 
the  arrival  of  two  gensdarmes  upon  the  scene.  He  had 
at  once  told  them  that  he  was  English  and  had  produced 
his  passport,  and  they  had  decided  upon  taking  him  to 
the  maire  for  the  examination  of  his  papers,  but  on  the 
way  the  crowd,  increased  by  fresh  arrivals,  had  deter- 
mined to  take  the  law  into  their  own  hands,  and  only 
the  arrival  of  the  young  Barclays  and  their  cousins  had 
saved  his  life. 

The  maire  saw  at  once,  upon  examination  of  the 
papers,  that  the  story  was  correct,  and  pronounced  that 
Tim  was  at  liberty  to  go  where  he  pleased. 

The  poor  fellow,  however,  though  he  made  light  of 
his  wounds  and  bruises,  was  much  shaken,  and  it  would, 
moreover,  have  been  dangerous  for  him  to  venture  again 
into  the  streets  of  Dijon.  Ralph  therefore  at  once 
offered  to  take  him  out  and  to  give  him  a  night's  shelter, 
an  offer  which  the  Irishman  accepted  with  many  thanks. 

It  was  now  getting  dark,  and,  accompanied  by  their 
cousins,  the  Barclays  were  let  out  with  Tim  Doyle  from 
a  back  entrance  to  the  Mairie,  and  made  their  way  un- 
noticed through  the  town,  and  arrived  half  an  hour  later 
at  home. 

Captain  and  Mrs.  Barclay,  upon  hearing  the  story, 
cordially  approved  of  what  the  boys  had  done;  and  Cap- 


46  THE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREURS. 

tain  Barclay  having,  in  spite  of  Tim's  earnest  remon- 
strance that  it  was  of  no  consequence  in  the  world,  put 
some  wet  rags  upon  the  most  serious  of  the  wounds, 
bandaged  up  his  head,  and  sent  him  at  once  to  bed. 

In  the  morning,  when  the  lads  started  for1  drill,  the 
Irishman  was  still  in  bed;  but  when  they  returned  to 
dinner  they  found  "him  working  in  the  garden  as  vigor- 
ously as  if  the  events  of  the  previous  day  had  been  a 
mere  dream. 

When  he  saw  them  coming  he  stuck  his  spade  into  the 
ground,  and  went  forward  to  meet  them.  "God  bless 
your  honors,  but  I'm  glad  to  see  you  again,  and  to 
thank  you  for  saving  my  life,  which  them  bastes  had 
made  up  their  minds  they  were  going  to  have.  I  ain't 
good  at  talking,  your  honors,  but  if  it's  the  last  drop  of 
my  blood  that  would  be  of  any  use  to  you,  you'd  be 
heartily  welcome  to  it." 

"I  am  very  glad  we  arrived  in  time,  Tim,"  Ralph  said. 
"And  it's  lucky  for  you  that  you  shouted  'Hurrah  for  Old 
Ireland!'  as  you  went  down,  for  of  course  we  had  no  idea 
you  were  a  countryman,  and  although  we  were  disgusted 
at  the  brutality  of  that  cowardly  mob,  we  could  hardly 
have  interfered  between  them  and  a  German  spy.  What 
are  you  thinking  of  doing  now?  It  will  hardly  be 
safe  for  you.  travel  through  France  while  this  madness 
about  spies  lasts,  for  with  your  broken  French  you 
would  be  getting  taken  up  continually." 

"I'm  not  thinking  of  it  at  all,  your  honor,"  the  Irish- 
man said.  "The  master  has  been  telling  me  that  your 
honors  are  starting  for  the  war,  and  so  I've  made  up  my 
mind  that  I  shall  go  along  wid  ye." 

The  boys  laughed.     "You  are  not  in  earnest,  Tim?" 

"As  sure  as  the  Gospels,  your  honor.  I've  served  five 
years  in  the  Cork  Militia,  and  wore  the  badge  as  a 
;  ::rksman;  and  so  I  mean  to  'list,  and  go  as  your 
honors'  sarvint." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRZ'SRS.  &t 

"But  you  can't  do  that,  Tim,  even  if  we  wonld  let 
you,"  Ealph  laughed.  "There  won't  be  any  servants 
at  all." 

"Sure,  your  honor  is  mistaken  entirely,"  Tim  said 
gravely.  "In  the  sarvice  a  soldier  is  always  told  off  as 
a  sarvint  of  each  officer." 

"But  we  are  not  going  as  officers,  Tim,"  Percy  said; 
we  are  going  as  simple  soldiers." 

"What!  going  as  privates?"  Tim  Doyle  said  in  as- 
tonishment. "Does  your  honor  mane  to  say  that  you 
are  going  to  shoulder  a  firelock  and  just  go  as  privates?" 

"That's  it,  Tim.  You  see  this  is  not  a  regular  regi- 
ment; it  is  a  corps  of  irregulars,  and  more  than  half  the 
privates  are  gentlemen." 

"Holy  Mother!"  ejaculated  Tim,  in  astonishment; 
"did  one  ever  hear  of  the  like?"  Then,  after  a  pause, 
"Then  your  honor  will  want  a  sarvint  more  than  iver. 
Who  is  to  clean  your  boots,  and  to  pipeclay  your  belts, 
to  wash  your  linen,  to  clean  your  firelock,  and  cook  your 
dinners,  and  pitch  your  tent,  if  you  don't  have  a  sarvint? 
The  thing's  against  nature  entirely." 

"We  shall  do  it  all  ourselves,  Tim — that  is  to  say,  as 
far  as  cleaning  the  rifles,  washing  our  linen,  and  cook- 
ing the  dinner;  as  for  the  other  things,  I  don't  suppose 
we  shall  ever  have  our  boots  cleaned;  we  have  no  white 
belts  to  pipeclay,  for  they  are  made  of  buff  leather,  and 
we  shall  not  have  to  pitch  tents,  for  we  don't  take  them 
with  us,  but  shall,  when  necessary,  sleep  in  the  open 
air." 

Tim  was  too  surprised  to  speak  for  a  time;  at  last  he 
said  doggedly,  "Sarvint  or  no  sarvint,  your  honor,  it 
is  evident  that  it's  rough  times  you're  going  to  h^ve, 
and  Tim  Doyle  will  be  there  with  you  as  sure  as  the 
piper." 

"We  should  like  you  with  us  very  much,  Tim,  \\  you 


48  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

make  up  your  mind  to  go/'  Ralph  said;  "but  the  corps 
is  quite  full.     We  have  refused  dozens  of  recruits.,, 

Tim  looked  downcast;  at  last  he  said,  "Well,  your 
honor,  it  may  be  that  they  won't  have  me  as  a  soldier, 
but  I'll  go  sure  enough,  if  I  die  for  it.  There's  no  law 
to  punish  a  man  for  walking  after  a  regiment  of  soldiers, 
and  wherever  your  regiment  goes,  sure  enough  I'll 
tramp  after  ye.  There's  many  an  odd  way  I  might  make 
myself  useful,  and  they'll  soon  get  used  to  see  me  about, 
and  let  me  come  and  go  into  the  camp." 

No  persuasion  could  alter  Tim's  determination,  and 
as  they  felt  that  having  so  attached  a  fellow  near  them 
might  be  of  real  utility  and  comfort,  when  the  boys  went 
down  in  the  afternoon  they  spoke  to  Captain  Tempe 
about  it.  At  first  he  said  that  it  was  impossible,  as  he 
had  already  refused  so  many  offers  of  service;  but  upon 
hearing  all  the  story  and  thinking  the  matter  over  he 
said  suddenly,  "By  the  bye,  there  is  a  way  by  which  he 
might  go  with  us.  You  know  I  have  ordered  a  light 
two-wheel  cart,  built  very  strong,  for  the  mountains,  to 
carry  our  spare  ammunition,  powder  for  blowing  up 
bridges,  cooking-pots,  and  stores.  I  have  not  engaged 
a  driver  as  yet:  if  your  Irishman,  who  you  say  under- 
stands horses,  likes  to  go  as  a  driver  to  begin  with,  I  will 
promise  him  the  first  vacant  rifle.  I  fear  that  he  will 
not  have  long  to  wait  after  we  once  get  near  the  enemy, 
and  as  he  has  already  served,  you  say,  he  will  be  better 
than  a  new  recruit,  and  we  can  get  a  countryman  to  take 
his  place  with  the  cart." 

Upon  their  return  in  the  evening  with  the  news,  Tim 
Doyle's  joy  knew  no  bound,  and  he  whooped  and 
shouted  till  Milly  laughed  so  that  she  had  to  beg  of  him 
to  stop. 

The  next  day  Tim  went  down  with  Captain  Barclay 
and  signed  the  engagement.     He    remained    with    the 


TEE  YOUXG  FRANC-TIREURS.  49 

captain  during  the  time  that  the  latter  was  giving  his 
instructions  in  musketry,  entering  upon  his  duties  in 
connection  with  the  corps  by  going  down  to  the  butts 
and  acting  as  marker,  and  then  returned  with  him  to 
the  cottage,  as  it  was  agreed  that  he  had  better  remain 
there  quietly  until  the  corps  was  ready  to  march,  as,  if 
he  were  to  venture  alone  in  the  town,  he  might  at  any 
time  be  subject  to  a  repetition  of  the  attack  upon  the 
day  of  his  arrival.  At  the  cottage  he  soon  became  a 
general  favorite.  His  desire  to  make  himself  useful  in 
any  way,  his  fund  of  fun  and  good  temper,  pleased  every 
one;  even  Marie  and  Jeannette,  the  two  servants,  who 
could  not  understand  a  word  of  what  he  said,  were  in  a 
constant  broad  grin  at  the  pantomime  by  which  he 
endeavored  to  eke  out  his  few  words  of  French.  Milly 
became  quite  attached  to  him,  and  Captain  and  Mrs. 
Barclay  both  felt  cheered  and  comforted  at  the  thought 
that  this  devoted  fellow  would  be  at  hand  to  look  after 
and  assist  the  boys  in  time  of  danger,  suffering,  or 
sickness. 


50  THE  YQUNG-FMANU-TIREUnSL 


CHAPTER    IV. 

STARTING   FOR  THE  VOSGES. 

The  day  for  the  departure  of  the  corps  was  near  at 
hand.  The  party  at  the  Barclays'  were  all  filled  with 
sadness  at  the  thoughts  of  separation,  but  all  strove  to 
hide  their  feelings  for  the  sake  of  the  others.  Captain 
and  Mrs.  Barclay  were  anxious  that  the  boys  should 
leave  in  good  spirits  and  high  hope,  while  the  boys 
wished  to  keep  up  an  appearance  of  merely  going  upon 
an  ordinary  excursion,  in  order  to  cheer  their  parents. 

The  day  before  starting  the  whole  corps  marched  to 
the  cathedral,  where  mass  was  celebrated,  a  sermon 
preached,  and  a  blessing  solemnly  prayed  for  for  them. 

The  boys  had  asked  their  father  if  he  had  any  objec- 
tion to  their  taking  part  in  this  ceremonial  in  a  Roman 
Catholic  Church,  but  Captain  Barclay  had  at  once  said 
that,  upon  the  contrary,  he  should  wish  them  to  do  so. 
Protestants  might  not  approve  of  many  things  in  the 
Catholic  Church,  but  that  could  be  no  reason  whatever 
against  a  Protestant  taking  part  in  a  solemn  prayer  to 
God  wherever  that  prayer  might  be  offered  up. 

The  young  Duburgs  were  unaffectedly  glad  that  the 
time  for  their  departure  had  come,  for  the  month  that 
had  passed  had  been  a  most  unpleasant  one  to  them. 
Their  mother  had  in  vain  tried  to  persuade  them  to  stay, 
first  by  entreaty,  and  then  by  anger,  and  finding  these 
means  fail,  she  had  passed  her  time  either  in  sullen 
silence  or  in  remaining  in  bed,  declaring  that  her  nerves 


THE  YOUNG  FRAXC-TIRKURS.  5> 

were  utterly  shattered,  and  that  she  should  never  sur- 
vive it.  She  had  refused  to  see  Mrs.  Barclay,  when  the 
Latter  called  a  day  or  two  after  their  visit  to  the  cottage, 
and  she  had  not  been  near  her  since. 

Julie  and  Justine  were  forbidden  to  go  in  to  see  Milly, 
and  altogether  there  was  quite  an  estrangement  between 
the  two  families.  The  boys,  however,  were  of  course 
constantly  together;  and  M.  Duburg  came  in,  as  usual, 
every  day  or  two  for  a  chat  with  Captain  Barclay. 

September  15,  the  day  of  separation,  arrived.  They 
were  to  march  at  eight  in  the  morning,  and  left  home, 
therefore,  at  seven.  This  was  so  far  fortunate  that  it 
left  less  time  for  the  painful  adieus.  Captain  Barclay 
had  a  long  talk  with  the  boys  the  night  before,  repeating 
all  the  hints  and  instructions  which  he  had  before  given 
them. 

It  is  not  necessary  to  describe  the  parting.  Every 
one  of  my  readers  can  imagine  for  themselves  how  sad 
was  the  scene.  How  Milly  sobbed  aloud  in  spite  of  her 
efforts;  how  Mrs.  Barclay  kissed  her  boys  and  then  ran 
up  to  her  own  room  to  cry  alone;  how  their  father  wrung 
their  hands,  and,  after  giving  them  his  blessing,  re- 
turned hastily  away  that  they  might  not  see  the  tears 
which  he  could  not  keep  back;  and  how  the  boys,  in 
spite  of  their  uniform  and  their  dignity  as  soldiers,  cried 
too.  Tim  Doyle  had  gone  on  an  hour  before,  taking 
their  blankets,  so  they  had  nothing  to  do  but  to  snatch 
up  their  guns  and  hasten  away,  half-blinded  with  tears, 
toward  the  town.  They  reached  it  just  as  the  bugle 
sounded  the  assembly. 

By  this  time  they  had  steadied  themselves,  and  in  the 
work  of  preparing  for  the  start  soon  lost  all  feeling  of 
despondency. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  find  a  more  workmanlike  little 
corps  than  the  franc-tireurs  of  Dijon,  as,  with  the  band 


52  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUMS. 

of  the  National  Guard  at  their  head,  playing  the  Mar- 
seillaise, they  marched  through  the  old  city.  Their 
uniform  was  a  brownish-gray;  their  blankets,  rolled  up 
tight,  and  carried  like  a  scarf  over  one  shoulder  and 
under  the  other  arm,  were  brown  also.  Their  belts  and 
gaiters  were  of  buff  leather.  Their  caps  had  flat  peaks, 
to  shade  their  eyes,  but  round  the  cap  was  rolled  a  flap 
lined  with  fur,  which  let  down  over  the  ears  and  back  of 
the  neck,  tying  under  the  chin;  on  the  outer  side  of  the 
fur  was  thin  india-rubber  to  throw  the  rain  off  down 
over  the  light  waterproof  cloaks,  which  each  man  carried 
in  a  small  case  slung  to  his  belt.  The  waterproof  on 
the  caps,  when  rolled  up,  did  not  show,  the  caps  then 
looking  like  fur  caps  with  a  peak. 

Slung  over  the  shoulder  on  the  opposite  side  to  the 
blanket  was  a  haversack,  or  stout  canvas  bag,  brown  like 
the  rest  of  the  equipments.  Each  bag  was  divided  into 
two  compartments,  the  larger  one  holding  a  spare  shirt, 
a  few  pairs  of  socks  and  handkerchiefs,  a  comb,  and 
other  small  necessaries.  In  the  other,  bread,  biscuits, 
or  other  provisions  could  be  carried.  Each  man  had 
also  a  water-bottle  slung  over  his  shoulder. 

On  either  side  of  the  ammunition  pouch  behind  was 
strapped  a  new  boot,  so  placed  that  it  in  no  way  inter- 
fered with  the  bearer  getting  at  the  pouch.  Next  was 
fastened  the  tin  box,  the  lid  of  which  forms  a  plate,  the 
bottom  a  saucepan  or  frying-pan.  On  one  side  hung  the 
bayonet,  upon  the  other  a  hatchet,  a  pick,  or  a  short 
handled  shovel,  each  company  having  ten  of  each 
implement. 

It  will  be  judged  that  this  was  a  heavy  load,  but  the 
articles  were  all  necessaries,  and  the  weight  over  and 
above  the  rifle  and  ammunition  was  not,  even  including 
the  pick  or  shovel,  more  than  half  that  ordinarily  car- 
ried by  a  French  soldier. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  53 

At  the  head  of  the  corps  marched  its  commandant. 
The  French  term  commandant  answers  to  an  English 
major,  and  he  wilr  therefore  in  future  he  termed  Major 
Tempe\  Each  of  the  four  companies  was  also  headed  by- 
its  officer.  Major  Tempe  had  chosen  for  these  posts 
four  men  who,  like  himself,  had  served — three  in  the 
army,  and  one  in  the  navy.  He  had  written  to  them  as 
soon  as  the  corps  was  organized,  and  they  had  arrived 
ten  days  before  the  start.  One  or  two  only  of  the  franc- 
tireurs,  who  had  entertained  a  hope  of  being  made 
officers,  were  at  first  a  little  discontented;  but  as  it  was 
evidently  vastly  to  the  advantage  of  the  corps  to  have 
experienced  officers,  the  appointments  gave  great  satis- 
faction to  the  rest  of  the  men.  Fortunately,  there  were 
in  the  ranks  several  men  who  had  served  as  privates  or 
non-commissioned  officers,  and  from  these  Major  Tempe 
selected  a  sergeant  and  a  corporal  for  each  company. 

Behind  the  corps  followed  the  cart  loaded  with  the 
stores  of  the  corps,  a  considerable  amount  of  ammuni- 
tion, two  or  three  cases  of  gun-cotton  for  blowing  up 
bridges,  several  small  barrels  of  powder,  a  large  quantity 
of  fine  iron  wire,  three  or  four  crowbars,  bags  of  coffee 
and  rice,  and  a  keg  of  brandy,  four  kettles  and  as  many 
large  saucepans,  together  with  all  sorts  of  odds  and 
ends.  By  the  side  of  the  horse  walked  Tim  Doyle, 
dressed  in  the  uniform  of  the  corps,  but  without  the 
equipments,  and  with  a  long  blouse  worn  over  his  tunic. 
He  was,  in  fact,  already  enrolled  as  an  active  member  of 
xhe  corps.  This  was  done  in  the  first  place  at  his  own 
earnest  request,  and  upon  the  plea  that  thus  only  could 
he  escape  the  chance  of  being  seized  as  a  spy  whenever 
he  might  for  a  moment  be  separated  from  the  corps, 
and  also  that  unless  he  had  a  uniform  like  the  rest,  how 
could  he  take  any  vacancy  in  the  ranks  even  when  it 
should  occur?      Major    Tempe,  in  exceeding   the  one 


54  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

hundred  and  twenty  determined  upon,  was  influenced 
partly  by  these  arguments,  but  more  by  the  fact  that 
difficulties  would  arise  about  food,  cooking,  and  various 
other  points,  if  the  driver  were  not  upon  the  same  foot- 
ing as  the  rest  of  the  corps. 

The  march  was  not  a  long  one — only  to  the  railway 
station.  A  few  carriages,  with  a  truck  for  the  cart,  and 
a  horse-box,  were  drawn  up  alongside  the  platform  in 
readiness,  and  in  ten  minutes  more  all  were  in  their 
places,  the  carriages  attached  to  the  ordinary  train,  and 
amid  great  cheering  and  waving  of  handkerchiefs  and 
hats  from  hundreds  of  people  collected  in  the  station  to 
see  them  off,  they  started  for  the  Vosges. 

Eailway  traveling,  at  no  time  rapid,  was  extremely 
slow  at  this  period,  and  it  was  evening  before  they 
arrived  at  Epinal,  where  they  were  to  pass  the  night. 
The  journey,  shortened  by  innumerable  songs  and 
choruses,  had  scarcely  seemed  long.  The  railway  ran 
throughout  its  whole  distance  through  pretty  undulating 
country;  indeed,  toward  the  end  of  their  journey,  when 
they  were  fairly  among  the  Vosges,  i he  scenery  became 
wild  and  savage.  At  Vesoul,  which  was  about  half  way, 
the  train  had  stopped  for  two  hours,  and  here  wine,  bread 
and  cheese,  cold  sausages,  and  fruits  were  distributed  to 
the  men  by  the  inhabitants,  who  were  assembled  in  large 
numbers  at  the  station,  and  gave  the  corps  an  enthusias- 
tic reception.  They  were  the  first  band  of  franc-tireurs 
who  had  passed  through,  and  the  inhabitants  regarded 
them  as  protectors  against  the  wandering  Uhlans, 
whose  fame,  although  as  yet  far  oif,  had  caused  them  to 
be  regarded  with  an  almost  superstitious  fear. 

At  Epinal  a  similar  and  even  warmer  greeting  awaited 
them,  Epinal  being  so  much  nearer  to  the  enemy  that 
the  fear  of  Uhlans  was  more  acute.  The  station  was 
decorated  with  green  boughs,  and  the  maire,  with  many 


TBE  YOUNG  FRANO-TIREURS.  55 

of  the  leading  inhabitants,  was  at  the  station  to  receive 
them.  The  corps  formed  upon  the  platform,  and  then 
marched  through  the  little  town  to  the  Hotel  de  Ville, 
loudly  cheered  by  the  people  as  they  passed  long.  Here 
they  were  dismissed,  with  the  order  to  parade  again  at 
half-past  four  in  the  morning. 

There  was  no  trouble  as  to  billets  for  the  night,  as  the 
maire  had  already  made  out  a  list  of  the  inhabitants  who 
had  offered  accommodation,  the  number  being  greatly 
in  excess  of  the  strength  of  the  corps.  These  persons 
now  came  forward,  and  each  took  off  the  number  of 
franc-tireurs  who  had  been  allotted  to  them. 

The  sergeant  of  the  first  company,  knowing  the  rela- 
tionship and  friendship  of  the  young  Barclays  and 
Du burgs,  had  promised  them  that,  when  practicable,  he 
would  always  quarter  them  together.  Upon  the  present 
occasion  the  four  were  handed  over  to  a  gentleman 
whose  house  was  a  short  distance  outside  the  town. 
Upon  the  way  he  chatted  to  them  on  the  proposed 
course  of  the  corps,  upon  its  organization  and  discipline, 
and  they  asked  for  the  first  time  the  question  which  was 
so  often  in  fntnre  to  be  upon  their  lips,  "Had  he  any 
news  of  the  enemy  ?" 

The  answer  was  that  none  as  yet  had  come  south  of 
Luneville,  and  that  indeed  at  present  they  were  too 
much  occupied  at  Metz  and  Strasburg  to  be  able  to 
detach  any  formidable  parties.  Small  bodies  of  Uhlans 
occasionally  had  made  raids,  and  driven  in  sheep  and 
cattle,  but  they  had  not  ventured  to  trust  themselves 
very  far  into  the  mountains. 

Upon  arriving  at  the  residence  of  their  host,  they  were 
most  kindly  received  by  his  wife  and  daughter,  who, 
however,  could  not  refrain  from  expressing  their  sur- 
prise at  the  youthfulness  of  their  guests. 

"But  these  are  mere  boys!"  the  lady  said  to  her  hus- 


56  THE  TOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

band  in  German;  "are  all  the  franc-tireurs  like 
these?" 

"Oh,  no,"  her  husband  said,  in  the  same  language; 
"the  greater  part  are  sturdy  fellows;  but  as  they 
marched  by  I  observed  some  twelve  or  fourteen  who 
were  scarcely  out  of  their  boyhood.  It  is  cruelty  to 
send  such  youngsters  out  as  these;  what  can  they  do 
against  these  Prussians,  who  have  beaten  our  best 
soldiers?" 

"Fortunately,"  Ralph  said  in  German,  which  he 
spoke  fluently,  as  has  already  been  stated,  and  with  a 
merry  laugh,  which  showed  that  he  was  not  offended  at 
the  remark — "fortunately,  fighting  now  is  not  an  affair 
of  spears  and  battle-axes.  Age  has  nothing  to  do  with 
shooting;  and  as  for  fatigue,  we  shall  not  be  the  first  in 
the  corps  to  give  up." 

"I  must  really  apologize  very  much,  but  I  had  no  idea 
that  you  undeFGtood  German,  or  I  should  not  have  made 
any  remarks,"  the  lady  said,  smiling;  "but  so  few  French 
boys  out  of  Alsace  do  understand  it  that  it  never  struck 
me  that  you  spoke  the  language.  You  will  find  it  an 
immense  advantage,  for  outside  the  towns  you  will 
scarcely  meet  a  person  understanding  French.  But  I 
am  sure  you  must  be  all  very  hungry,  and  supper  is 
quite  ready." 

They  were  soon  seated  at  a  well-spread  table,  waited 
upon  by  the  daughter  of  the  family,  while  their  host  and 
hostess  sat  and  chatted  with  them  as  to  their  corps 
while  the  meal  went,  on. 

"Excuse  another  remark  upon  your  personal  appear- 
ance," the  lady  said,  smiling;  "but  two  of  you  look 
mere  like  Alsatians  than  French.  You  have  the  fair 
complexion  and  brown,  wavy  hair.  You  do  not  look  like 
Frenchmen." 

"Nor   ar«   we,"    Ralph    laughed.     "My   brother    and 


THE  YOUJSG  FKAXC-TIREUR8.  57 

myself,  although  French  bom,  are  actually  English. 
Our  father  is  an  English  officer,  but  our  mother  is 
French,  and,  as  you  see,  we  take  after  him  rather  than 
her." 

"But  I  wonder  that,  as  your  father  is  English,  he  let3 
you  go  out  upon  this  expedition,  which  is  very  perilous.,, 

"We  wished  to  go — that  is,  we  thought  it  was  our 
duty,"  Ealph  said;  "and  although  they  were  very  sad  at 
our  leaving  they  both  agreed  with  us." 

"'I  wish  all  Frenchmen  were  animated  by  the  same 
feeling,"  said  their  host  warmly.  "Your  gallant  exam- 
ple should  shame  hundreds  of  thousands  of  loiterers  and 
skulkers.  You  speak  French  perfectly;  I  should  have 
had  no  idea  that  you  were  anything  but  French,  or 
rather,  from  the  way  you  speak  German,  that  you  were 
Alsatian." 

"We  have  lived  in  France  all  our  lives,  except  for  two 
years  which  we  passed  in  Germany,  and  two  years  at  one 
time,  together  with  one  or  two  shorter  visits,  in 
England." 

"And  do  you  speak  English  as  well  aa  French?" 

"Oh,  yes,  we  always  speak  English  at  home.  Our 
father  made  a  rule  that  we  should  always  do  so,  as  he 
said  it  would  be  an  immense  disadvantage  to  us  when 
we  returned  to  England  if  we  had  the  slightest  French 
accent.  Our  mother  now  speaks  English  as  purely  and 
correctly  as  our  father." 

"Are  your  friends  any  relations  of  yours?" 

"They  are  our  cousins/'  Ealph  said;  "their  father  is 
our  mother's  brother."' 

For  Borne  time  longer  they  chatted,  and  then  their 
host  said,  "It  is  half-past  nine,  and  we  are  early  people 
here.  You  will  have  to  be  up  by  five,  so  I  think  that  it 
is  time  you  were  off  to  bed.  We  shall  scarcely  be  up 
when  you  start,  but  you  will  find  a  spirit  lamp  on  the 


58  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

table,  with  coffee  which  only  requires  heating,  together 
with  some  bread  and  butter.  You  will  have  some  miles 
to  march  before  you  breakfast.  And  now  you  must  all 
promise  me  that  if  you  come  to  this  place  again  you  will 
come  straight  up  here  and  look  upon  it  as  your  home. 
If  you  get  ill  or  wounded,  which  I  hope  will  not  hap- 
pen, you  will  of  course  go  home:  but  something  may 
occur  not  sufficiently  important  for  you  to  leave  the 
corps,  but  which  could  be  set  straight  by  a  few  days' 
nursing  and  rest.  In  that  case,  you  will  come  to  us, 
will  you  not?"  < 

The  boys  all  gratefully  promised  to  avail  themselves 
of  the  invitation  in  case  of  need,  and  then  said  good- 
night and  good-by  to  their  host,  and  went  off  to  the 
room  prepared  for  them. 

In  the  morning  they  were  up  in  good  time,  dressed  as 
quietly  as  they  could,  so  as  not  to  disturb  their  host, 
and  went  downstairs,  lit  the  spirit  lamp  under  a  glass 
bowl  full  of  coffee  and  milk,  and  in  ten  minutes  were  on 
their  way  toward  the  town. 

"We  shall  be  lucky  if  we  are  often  as  comfortable  as 
that,"  Percy  said,  looking  back,  and  there  was  a  general 
assent. 

"There  goes  the  bugle,"  Louis  Duburg  said;  "we 
have  a  quarter  of  an  hour  yet.  What  pretty  girls  those 
were!" 

Louis  was  nearly  seventeen,  and  at  seventeen  a  French 
lad  considers  himself  a  competent  judge  as  to  +.he 
appearance  and  manners  of  young  ladies. 

"Were  they?"  Percy  said  carelessly,  with  the  indiffer- 
ence of  an  English  boy  Of  his  age  as  to  gir^s.  "I  did 
not  notice  it.  I  don't  care  for  girls;  they  are  always 
thinking  about  their  dress,  and  one  is  afraid  of  touching 
them,  in  case  you  should  spoil  something.  There  is 
nothing  jolly  about  them." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  59 

The  others  laughed.  "I  am  sure  Milly  is  jolly 
enough/'  Philip  Duburg  said. 

"Yes,  Milly  is  jolly/'  Percy  answered.  "You  see,  she 
has  been  with  us  boys,  and  she  can  play,  and  doesn't 
screech  if  you  touch  her,  or  mind  it  a  bit  if  she  tears  her 
frock.  So  are  our  cousins  in  England,  some  of  them. 
Yes,  there  are  some  jolly  girls,  of  course;  still,  after  all, 
what's  the  good  of  them,  taking  them  altogether?  They 
are  very  nice  in  their  way,  quiet  and  well-behaved  and 
so  on,  but  they  are  better  indoors  than  out." 

The  clock  was  just  striking  half-past  five  as  the  boys 
reached  the  place  of  assembly.  Most  of  the  men  were 
already  upon  the  spot,  and  the  bugler  was  blowing 
lustily.  In  another  five  minutes  all  were  assembled, 
including  Tim  Doyle  with  his  horse  and  cart. 

"Good-morning,  Tim,"  the  boys  said,  as  they  came 
up  to  him.  "I  hope  you  had  as  comfortable  quarters  as 
we  had  last  night." 

"Splendid,  your  honor — downright  splendid:  a  supper 
fit  for  a  lord,  and  a  bed  big  enough  for  a  duchess." 

The  boys  laughed  at  the  idea  of  a  duchess  wanting  a 
bed  bigger  than  any  one  else,  and  Tim  went  on,  "Ah, 
your  honor,  if  campaigning  was  all  like  this,  sure  I'd 
campaign  all  my  life,  and  thank  you ;  but  it's  many  a  time 
I  shall  look  back  upon  my  big  supper  and  big  bed.  Not 
that  I  should  like  it  altogether  entirely:  I  should  get  so 
fat  and  so  lazy  that  I  shouldn't  know  my  own  shadow." 

And  now  the  bugle  sounded  again,  and  'the  men  fell 
in.  As  they  started  they  struck  up  a  lively  marching 
song,  and  several  windows  opened  and  adieus  were  waved 
to  them  as  they  passed  down  the  street  into  the  open 
country.  Every  one  was  in  high  spirits;  the  weather, 
which  had  for  some  time  been  unfavorable,  had  cleared 
up;  the  sun  was  rising  brightly,  and  they  felt  that  they 
had  fairly  started  for  work.     The  road  was  rough,  tho 


60  TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

conntry  wild  and  moutainous,  thick  forests  extended  in 
every  direction  as  far  as  the  eye  could  carry. 

""There  is  one  comfort,  Percy,"  Balph  said;  "if  we 
are  beaten  and  driven  back, we  might  get  into  this  forest 
and  laugh  at  the  Prussians." 

Percy  cast  rather  a  doubtful  eye  at  the  dark  woods. 
"The  Prussians  might  not  be  able  to  discover  us,  Ralph, 
but  I  would  as  lief  be  killed  by  Prussian  balls  as  die  of 
hunger,  and  our  chances  of  getting  food  there  for  a 
hundred  men  would  be  very  slight." 

"They  don't  look  hospitable,  certainly,  Percy,  I  agree 
with  you:  we  had  better  keep  in  the  open  country  as 
long  as  possible." 

The  first  village  at  which  they  arrived  was  Deyvilliers. 
Here  a  halt  was  called  for  ten  minutes,  five  miles  having 
already  been  marched.  Many  of  the  men,  less  fortunate 
than  the  Barclays  and  Duburgs,  had  had  nothing  to  eat 
upon  starting,  and  when  the  arms  were  piled  there  was 
a  general  dispersal  through  the  village  in  search  of  pro- 
visions. Bread  had  been  bought  over  night  at  Epinal 
and  brought  on  in  the  cart,  which  was  fortunate,  for  the 
village  was  a  very  small  one,  and  there  would  have  been 
a  difficulty  in  obtaining  more  than  a  loaf  or  two;  cheese 
and  fruit  were  in  abundance,  and  the  boys  bought  some 
apples,  and  sat  down  by  the  little  feeder  of  the  Moselle 
which  passes  through  the  village,  and  watched  it  tum- 
bling past  on  its  way  to  join  the  main  stream  a  few  miles 
below  Epinal. 

In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  they  were  again  on  the  march. 
In  another  five  miles  they  reached  Fontaine,  lying  a 
little  off  the  road  to  their  right.  They  had  now  marched 
ten  miles,  and  Major  Tempe  ordered  a  halt  for  three 
hours.  A  piece  of  level  ground  was  chosen,  arms  wer* 
piled,  blankets  and  haversacks  taken  off,  and  then  pret>< 
arations  began  for  their  first  meal. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  61 

Men  were  sent  off  with  kettles  for  water,  others  went 
up  to  the  village  with  cans  for  wine,  or  beer,  for  in 
Alsace  beer  is  more  common  than  wine. 

Tim  took  the  horse  out  of  the  shafts,  and  gave  him 
some  oats;  some  of  the  men  were  sent  from  each  com- 
pany to  fetch  wood,  and  the  old  soldiers  prepared  for 
the  important  operation  of  cooking.  Several  little  fire- 
places-were made  with  stones  and  turf,  open  on  the  side 
facing  the  wind.  In  these  sticks  were  placed,  and  when 
they  were  fairly  alight  the  saucepans,  each  holding  the 
allowance  of  ten  men,  were  placed  on  them.  In  these 
the  meat,  cut  up  in  pieces  of  about  half  a  pound,  was 
placed,  with  pepper,  salt,  onions,  rice,  and  potatoes 
peeled  and  cut  up,  and  the  whole  filled  up  with  water. 

When  the  preparations  were  finished,  the  men  threw 
themselves  down  under  the  shade  of  some  trees,  and 
smoked  and  chatted  until  in  about  an  hour  the  cooking 
was  complete.  Each  man  then  brought  up  his  tin  can- 
teen, and  received  his  portion  of  soup  in  the  deep  side, 
and  his  meat  and  vegetables  in  the  shallow  can.  The 
bread  had  already  been  cut  up.  The  tin  drinking-pots, 
which,  with  knives,  forks,  and  spoons,  were  carried  in 
the  canteens,  were  filled  with  beer,  and  with  much 
laughing  and  fun  each  man  sat  down  on  the  grass  or 
scattered  rocks  to  eat  his  breakfast. 

Many  of  the  villagers  had  come  down,  and  these 
brought  for  the  most  part  little  presents:  a  few  apples, 
a  little  fresh  cheese,  or  a  bunch  of  grapes.  It  was  a 
merry  meal,  and  the  boys  agreed  that  it  was  the  joliiest 
picnic  that  they  had  ever  been  at. 

At  two  o'clock  the  bugle  sounded;  the  cooking  things 
were  packed  up  and  placed  in  the  cart  again,  the 
blankets  and  haversacks  slung  on,  and  the  rifles  shoul' 
dered,  and  with  many  a  good  wish  from  the  peasant 
they  inarched  forward  again. 


62  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

Eight  miles  further  marching  brought  them  to  the  end 
of  their  day's  journey,  the  village  of  Destord.  It  was  a 
tiny  place,  with  scarcely  oyer  a  half-dozen  houses. 
Major  Tempe  in  consequence  determined,  as  the  weather 
was  fine,  upon  bivouacking  in  the  open  air.  For  a  time 
all  were  busy  collecting  wood.  A  sheltered  place  was 
chosen,  for  the  village  lay  very  high,  close  to  the  source 
of  a  little  stream  running  into  the  river  Mortagne. 

The  cooking  places  were  again  prepared  for  supper. 
At  seven  o'clock  the  meal  was  served,  differing  but  little 
from  that  of  the  morning,  except  that  after  the  men  had 
eaten  the  soup,  and  the  meat  from  it  (in  France  called 
bouilli),  they  fried  some  thin  slices  of  meat  in  the  lids  of 
their  canteens,  and  concluded  the  meal  with  a  cup  of 
coffee. 

Then  four  large  fires  were  -lit,  one  for  each  company, 
and  a  smaller  one  for  the  officers.  Blankets  were  spread 
out  on  the  ground  round  these  fires,  and  the  men  lit 
their  pipes  and  chatted  gayly.  All  were  more  or  less  tired, 
for  although  their  month's  hard  drill  had  accustomed 
them  to  work,  eighteen  miles  with  arms,  ammunition, 
and  accouterments  had  tired  them  more  than  they  had 
anticipated. 

As  this  was  their  first  night  out,  Major  Tempe  told 
them  that  he  should  not  place  a  regular  cordon  of  sen- 
tries, but  that  in  future  he  should  do  so,  whether  they 
were  near  the  enemy  or  not.  By  nine  o'clock  the  fires 
began  to  burn  low,  the  talking  gradually  ceased,  and  the 
men,  rolling  themselves  up  in  their  blankets,  and  put- 
ting their  haversacks  under  their  heads  for  pillows,  soon 
dropped  off  to  sleep,  a  solitary  sentry  keeping  guard 
against  pilferers. 

A  short  march  of  ten  miles  took  them  next  day  to 
Kambervillers,  where  they  were  billeted  among  the 
inhabitants;  and  fourteen  miles  on  the  day  after  to  Bac- 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-T1REU11S.  63 

carat,  on  the  river  Meurthe,  where  they  also  obtained 
quarters.  They  were  now  approaching  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  enemy,  and  Major  Terape  advised  a  halt  for 
the  next  day,  in  order  that  he  might  make  inquiries  and 
investigate  thoroughly  the  best  route  to  be  pursued, 


64  THE  JOUJSQ  FMANC-TIREUHS. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE  FIRST  ENGAGEMENT. 

The  news  which  the  commandant  of  the  franc-tireurs 
heard  at  Baccarat  determined  him  to  change  his  inten- 
tions, and  to  push  on  without  delay  to  Halloville,  a  tiny 
hamlet  on  the  lower  spurs  of  the  Vosges,  some  four  miles 
from  Blamont,  and  overlooking  the  valley  of  the 
Vexouse,  in  which  the  latter  town  was  situated. 

It  was  a  long  march,  and  the  weather  had  again 
changed,  the  rain  descending  all  day  in  a  steady  pour. 
The  men  in  their  light  waterproof  cloaks,  and  the  flaps 
of  their  forage  caps  down,  plodded  steadily  on,  their 
spirit  sustained  by  the  thought  that  ere  another  twenty- 
four  hours  they  might  be  in  action.  The  news  which 
hurried  them  forward  had  been  to  the  effect  that  a  body 
of  two  hundred  Uhlans  had  left  Sarrebourg  and  were 
advancing  toward  Blamont.  They  were  going  quietly, 
stopping  to  Levy  contributions  at  the  village  on  the  way. 
It  was  probable  that  they  would  enter  Blamont  on  the 
same  evening  that  the  franc-tireurs  reached  Halloville. 
It  was  supposed  that  they  would  proceed  with  the  sheep 
and  cattle  that  they  had  swept  up  by  the  valley  of  the 
Vexouse  to  Luneville. 

To  within  four  miles  of  Halloville  the  road  had  been  a 
fair  one,  but  it  was  here  necessary  to  turn  off  by  a  track 
that  was  little  better  than  a  goat  path.  In  vain  a  dozen 
of  the  men  were  told  off  to  help  with  the  cart,  in  vain 
they  pushed  behind,  and  shoved  at  the  spokes  of  the 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  65 

wheels.  The  road  was  altogether  impracticable.  At 
last  the  horse  and  cart  were  taken  aside  into  a  thick 
wood  and  left  there  with  Tim  Doyle,  a  corporal  and  six 
of  the  men  who  were  the  most  footsore  and  incapable  of 
pushing  on.  Tim  was  dreadfully  disgusted  at  being 
thus  cut  off  from  the  chance  of  seeing  and  joining  in 
any  fighting,  and  only  consoled  himself  with  the  hope 
that  a  vacancy  would  be  likely  to  occur  the  next  day, and 
that  he  would  then  be  able  to  exchange  his  whip  for  a 
rifle 

The  rest  of  the  corps  plodded  on  until,  long  after 
dusk,  they  arrived  at  the  half-dozen  houses  which  form 
the  village  of  Halloville.  Their  appearance  as  they 
marched  up  to  it  was  greeted  by  a  scream  from  a  woman, 
followed  by  a  perfect  chorus  of  screams  and  cries.  Men, 
women,  and  children  were  seen  rushing  out  of  the  houses 
and  taking  to  flight,  and  it  was  with  the  greatest  diffi- 
culty that  they  were  made  to  understand  the  truth  that 
the  formidable  body  which  had  so  suddenly  dropped 
upon  them  was  not  composed  of  the  dreaded  invaders. 

When  the  truth  was  known  they  did  the  best  to 
receive  them  hospitably;  their  means  however  were 
small,  their  houses  equally  so.  However,  in  a  short  time 
blazing  fires  were  lighted  on  the  hearths,  blankets  having 
been  put  up  before  the  windows  to  prevent  any  light 
being  visible  from  the  valley.  A  fire  was  allotted  for 
the  cooking  of  each  company,  and  preparations  for 
supper  were  soon  commenced.  Then  an  examination 
was  made  of  the  facilities  in  the  way  of  sleeping,  and 
two  barns  were  found  well  provided  with  straw.  This 
was  shaken  out,  and  after  eating  their  suppers  the  men 
packed  close  together  upon  the  straw,  and  soon  forgot 
both  damp  and  fatigue,  numerous  sentries  being  thrown 
out  in  various  directions  to  prevent  the  possibility  of 
surprise,  for  the  peasant  had  informed  them  that  the 


66  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

information  which  they  had  received  was  correct,  and 
that  the  Uhlans,  about  two  hundred  strong,  had  entered 
Blamont  that  afternoon,  and  had  laid  a  requisition  of 
twenty  thousand  francs  upon  the  inhabitants,  besides  a 
considerable  amount  of  stores  of  all  sorts.  At  three 
o'clock  they  were  roused,  and  found  to  their  great 
pleasure  that  the  rain  had  ceased.  Guided  by  one  of  the 
villagers  they  made  their  way  down  to  a  point  where  the 
wood  approached  quite  close  to  the  road,  at  a  narrow 
point  of  the  valley. 

Here  Major  Tempe  posted  his  men  along  in  the  wood. 

Several  coils  of  wire  had  been  brought  with  them,  and 
these  were  now  stretched  tightly  from  tree  to  tree  at  a 
distance  of  about  eighteen  inches  from  the  ground. 
Some  forty  yards  further  back  young  trees  were  felled 
and  branches  cut,  and  these  were  laid  with  the  bushy 
parts  toward  the  road,  wires  being  twisted  here  and  there 
among  them  so  as  to  form  abattis  perfectly  impenetrable 
for  horsemen  and  difficult  in  the  extreme  for  infantry. 
All  worked  hard,  and  by  eight  o'clock  in  the  morning 
everything  was  in  readiness.  A  small  party  had  been 
left  upon  the  high  ground  near  Halloville,  and  one  of 
them  had  brought  down  news  every  half-hour.  Soon 
after  daybreak  a  party  of  Uhlans  had  been  seen  to  leave 
Blamont  and  to  visit  Barbas  and  Harboise,  two  villages  in 
the  flat  of  Blamont,  and  then  to  retire  driving  some 
cattle  and  sheep  before  them.  At  ten  o'clock  the  rest 
of  the  men  from  Halloville  came  down  with  the  news 
that  the  Uhlans,  about  two  hundred  strong,  had  just 
left  Blamont  and  were  coming  down  the  valley. 

Each  man  now  took  the  station  allotted  to  him. 
Thirty  men  behind  the  trees  next  to  the  road,  the  main 
body  being  stationed  behind  the  abattis,  each  man 
having  previously  settled  upon  a  spot  where  he  could 
fire  through  the  leaves,  which  entirely  concealed  them 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  6? 

from  view  from  the  road.  Number  one  company  was 
placed  to  the  right,  and  consequently  near  to  Blamont. 
Kalph  and  Percy  were  both  in  the  front  line  behind  the 
trees.  Not  a  shot  was  to  be  fired  on  any  consideration 
until  Major  Tempe  gave  the  word.  The  men  behind 
the  trees  were  all  ordered  to  lie  down  among  the  low 
undergrowth  and  brushwood.  The  line  extended  nearly 
a  hundred  yards.  The  waterproofs,  blankets,  and  all 
other  impediments  had  been  left  behind  at  Halloville, 
so  that  the  men  had  the  free  use  of  their  arms. 

The  rifles  were  loaded,  the  pouches  shifted  round  so 
as  to  be  ready  at  hand,  and  orders  having  been  given 
that  not  a  word  should  be  spoken,  even  in  a  whisper,  a 
perfect  silence  reigned  over  the  spot. 

Ralph  and  Percy  were  near  to  each  other.  They  had 
exchanged  a  hearty  grip  of  the  hand  before  lying  down, 
and  now  lay,  with  beating  hearts  and  hands  firmly  grasp- 
ing their  rifles,  in  readiness  for  the  signal. 

The  time  was  not  very  long,  only  a  few  minutes,  but 
it  seemed  to  them  an  age  before  they  heard  the  tramp  of 
horses.  Nearer  and  nearer  they  came,  and  now  they 
could  hear  the  jingling  of  accouterments.  First, 
through  their  leafy  screen,  they  could  see  two  Uhlans 
pass  at  a  walk,  scanning  keenly  the  woods,  and  looking 
for  possible  danger.  The  bushes  were  thick,  and  they 
noticed  nothing  and  kept  on  at  the  same  pace.  It  is 
probable,  indeed,  that  they  really  anticipated  no  possi- 
bility of  an  attack,  as  the  Dijon  franc-tireurs  were  the 
first  who  appeared  upon  the  scene  of  action,  and  the 
Prussians  were  consequently  in  entire  ignorance  of  the 
vicinity  of  any  armed  body  of  the  enemy,  and  at  worst 
apprehended  a  stray  shot  from  a  straggler  from  one  of 
the  French  armies  hidden  in  the  woods. 

In  another  minute  or  two  four  more  Uhlans  passed, 
and  after  the  same  interval  came  the  main  body,  escort- 


6g  TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

ing  a  number  of  cattle  and  sheep.  The  great &r  portion 
had  passed  the  spot  where  the  boys  were  lying,  and  were 
opposite  the  whole  line  of  franc-tireurs  when  the  silence 
of  the  wood  was  broken  by  Major  Tempe's  sbftut  "Now!" 
Before  the  Uhlans  had  time  to  rein  in  their  horses  or  to 
ask  each  other  what  was  the  meaning  of  the  cry,  the 
flash  of  thirty  rifles  broke  from  the  trees,  and  several 
men  fell  from  their  horses.  There  was  a  momentary 
panic,  followed  by  a  hurried  discharge  of  carbines  at  the 
invisible  foe. 

The  captain  of  the  Uhlans,  a  handsome  young  officer 
with  light  mustache  and  beard,  shouted  to  his  men, 
"Steady,  they  are  only  a  handful;  form  line,  charge!" 
Quickly  as  the  maneuver  was  executed  the  franc-tireurs 
had  time  to  fire  again,  and  then  in  accordance  with  their 
orders,  retreated,  and  joined  their  comrades  by  passages 
left  in  the  abattis  on  purpose.  In  another  instant  the 
Uhlans  charged,  but,  as  quickly,  the  direst  confusion 
reigned  where  before  had  been  a  regular  line.  The  wire 
had  served  its  purpose,  horses  and  men  went  down  on 
the  top  of  each  other,  and  thirty  rifles  again  fumed  their 
deadly  hail  into  the  confused  mass.  The  second  line  of 
Uhlans,  who  had  not  charged,  returned  the  fire  of  their 
invisible  enemies,  and  although  they  could  not  see  them, 
several  of  the  balls  took  effect. 

Nothing  could  be  cooler  than  the  officers  of  the 
Uhlans,  and  their  voice  and  example  steadied  their  men. 
Under  cover  of  the  fire  of  their  comrades  the  men  in 
part  extricated  themselves  and  their  horses,  and  drew 
back  behind  the  wood.  Orders  were  then  given  for  all 
to  dismount,  and  leaving  their  horses  to  be  held  by 
parties  of  their  comrades,  four  horses  to  one  man,  the 
rest  advanced  on  foot  against  their  apparently  greatly 
inferior  foe,  keeping  up  a  heavy  fire  with  their  carbines. 
This  was  what  the  commandant  of  the  franc-tireurs  had 
boped  for  and  expected. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  69 

Thft  wire  had  been  broken  down  by  the  weight  of  the 
horses,  and  the  Prussians  advanced  opposed  only  by  a 
feeble  return  to  their  heavy  fire  until  within  five  paces 
of  the  leafy  wall.  Then  the  fire  from  a  hundred  rifles 
flashed  out  upon  them. 

The  effect  was  terrible,  and  a  cry  of  surprise  and  rage 
burst  from  those  who  had  escaped  its  effect.  It  was 
evident  that  they  had  fallen  into  an  ambush.  The  cap- 
tain, wild  with  rage  and  mortification  at  the  fault  he 
had  committed,  rushed  forward,  and  his  men  gallantly 
seconded  his  efforts.  In  vain,  however,  did  they  try  to 
separate  the  interlaced  boughs,  while  as  they  struggled, 
the  shots  from  the  enemy  flashed  out  thick  and  fast. 
In  another  moment  the  young  captain  threw  up  his 
arms  and  fell,  shot  through  the  heart.  The  officer  next 
in  command  ordered  a  retreat,  the  horses  were  regained, 
and  amid  a  continuous  fire  from  the  franc-tireurs  the 
diminished  troop  galloped  back  toward  Blamont. 

The  franc-tireurs  now  quitted  their  leafy  fortress.  A 
small  party  was  at  once  sent  forward  up  the  valley  to 
give  notice  if  the  Uhlans  showed  any  signs  of  returning. 
A  strong  body  set  to  work  to  drive  in  the  scattered 
animals,  which  were  galloping  wildly  about  the  valley, 
while  the  rest  collected  the  dead  and  wounded. 

Of  the  franc-tireurs  eight  were  killed,  fourteen 
wounded.  Of  the  Uhlans  forty-seven  were  killed,  and 
nineteen  wounded  remained  on  the  ground.  Their  large 
number  of  killed  in  proportion  to  the  wounded  was 
accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  the  firing  was  so  close 
that  in  many  cases  the  coats  of  the  dead  men  were  actu- 
ally singed  by  the  explosion,  while  the  slightly  wounded 
men  had  been  able  to  regain  their  horses  and  escape. 

The  first  impulse  of  the  young  Barclays  when  the  fire 
ceased  was  to  turn  round  and  to  embrace  each  other 
with  delight  on  finding  that  they  had  each  escaped  with- 


70  TEE  YOUNG  FR A  JVC-TIRE UBS. 

out  a  scratch,  and  then  to  shake  hands  heartily  with 
their  cousins,  whose  fortune  had  been  equally  good. 

There  was  no  time  for  words,  however,  for  Major 
Tempe's  order  came,  sharp  and  decisive,  "You,  the  Bar- 
clays, you  also,  the  Duburgs,  sling  your  arms,  and  go 
assist  to  drive  in  the  cattle;  quick,  lose  no  time.  You 
have  done  well;  I  am  content  with  you,  my  boys." 
With  a  flush  of  pleasure  the  boys  started  off  to  carry  out 
the  orders  which  had  been  given  by  their  commander 
with  the  kind  thought  of  sparing  the  lads  the  terrible 
sight  of  the  "battle  ground." 

The  short  but  desperate  conflict  through  which  they 
had  passed  seemed  to  the  young  Barclays  almost  like  a 
dream.  In  the  excitement  of  loading  and  firing,  in  the 
tumult  and  the  rattle,  they  had  scarcely  had  time  even 
to  give  a  thought  to  the  danger.  Fear  is  seldom  felt  by 
the  soldier  when  engaged  in  close  conflict.  The  time 
when  his  nerves  are  most  tried  is  while  waiting  inactive 
at  a  distance,  exposed  to  a  heavy  shell  fire,  or  while 
advancing  to  an  attack  under  a  storm  of  musketry  and 
artillery.  In  a  hand-to-hand  conflict  he  has  no  time  to 
think;  his  nerves  are  strung  up  to  so  high  a  pitch  that 
he  no  longer  thinks  of  danger  or  death.  His  whole 
thoughts  are  given  to  loading  and  firing.  Any  thought 
that  the  boys  had  given  to  danger  was  not  for  them- 
selves, but  for  each  other;  and  Ralph,  though  his  own 
position  was  unsheltered,  had  once  or  twice  spoken  to 
Percy  to  keep  his  body  better  sheltered  by  the  trees 
behind  which  he  was  standing. 

It  was  a  long  chase  before  the  frightened  animals 
were  collected  together,  and  driven  up  toward  the  spot 
where  the  fight  had  taken  place.  By  the  time  that  it 
was  accomplished  the  wounded  had  been  collected,  and 
the  surgeons  had  bandaged  many  of  their  wounds.  A 
qualified  surgeon  had  accompanied  the  corps  as  its  regu- 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  71 

lar  doctor,  and  two  other  young  surgeons  had  enlisted 
in  its  ranks,  and  these,  their  arms  laid  by,  were  now 
assisting  to  stanch  the  wounds  and  to  apply  bandages. 
Of  the  franc-tireurs  there  were  only  four  so  seriously 
wounded  that  they  were  unable  to  walk.  By  that  time 
two  carts  arrived  from  the  village  of  Douteppe,  which 
stood  in  the  valley,  half  a  mile  only  from  the  scene  of 
action,  and  to  which  place  Major  Tempe  had  sent  oif  a 
messenger  directly  the  affair  had  terminated.  In  one 
of  these  the  wounded  were  placed,  while  in  the  other 
were  piled  the  arms  and  accouterments  of  the  fallen 
Ulhans. 

One  of  the  young  surgeons  was  to  accompany  the 
wounded  as  far  as  Baccarat,  where  they  were  to  remain 
for  treatment.  Twenty-three  horses  of  the  Uhlans  had 
also  been  captured  by  the  party  who  had  driven  in  the 
cattle,  among  whom  they  were  galloping.  Four  men 
were  told  off  to  take  them  back  to  Epinal,  and  there 
dispose  of  them,  with  their  accouterments,  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  military  chest  of  the  corps. 

The  question  then  arose  as  to  what  was  to  be  done 
with  the  Prussian  wounded.  Major  Tempe  decided  this 
by  saying  that  as  it  was  quite  impossible  for  the  corps  to 
be  burdened  with  wounded  men,  the  best  plan  was  to 
allow  one  of  the  slightly  wounded  among  the  prisoners 
to  walk  back  to  Blamont  with  a  message  that  the  Uhlans 
could  come  back  to  fetch  their  wounded  without  moles- 
tation, as  the  franc-tireurs  were  upon  the  point  of  tak- 
ing their  departure. 

The  corps  then  assembled  round  a  grave  which  had 
already  been  dug,  and  into  it  the  bodies  of  their  comrades 
who  had  fallen  were  placed.  Major  Tempe  then  said  a 
few  brief  words  of  adieu,  hoping  that  all  who  fell  might 
die  equally  bravely  and  victoriously;  then  the  sods  were 
shoveled   in,   and    the    men,   saddened   by  the    scene, 


72  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

though  still  flushed  with  the  triumph  of  their  first  and 
signal  success,  prepared  to  leave  the  spot. 

Major  Tempe*  had  already  held  a  consultation  with  his 
officers,  and  their  plan  of  operation  had  been  decided 
upon.  The  difficulty  which  they  had  encountered  the 
evening  before  with  the  horse  and  cart  had  already 
proved  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  drag  it  about  with 
them.  They  had  also  taken  thirty  fine  cattle  and  up- 
ward of  a  hundred  sheep  from  the  enemy,  and  it  was 
therefore  resolved  to  establish  a  sort  of  headquarters  in 
the  mountains,  where  they  could  retire  after  their  ex- 
peditions, and  defy  the  efforts  of  the  Prussians  to  dis- 
turb them.  The  spot  fixed  upon  was  the  forest  of 
Bousson,  high  up  among  the  Vosges,  and  distant  two  hard 
days'  marching.  A  portion  of  the  troop,  therefore, 
went  round  to  Halloville,  to  fetch  the  accouterments, 
blankets,  etc.,  which  had  been  left  there,  while  the  rest 
marched  by  the  road  to  the  place  where  the  cart  had 
been  left  the  night  before.  Two  peasants  were  engaged 
as  guides,  and  in  the  afternoon  the  corps  started  for 
their  destination. 

It  was  a  terrible  march,  the  roads  were  mere  tracks, 
and  the  weather  was  terrible.  Over  and  over  again  the 
men  had  to  unload  the  cart,  shoulder  the  contents,  and 
carry  them  for  a  considerable  distance  until  ground 
was  reached  where  the  cart  could  again  be  loaded. 

It  was  not  until  late  on  the  evening  of  the  third  day's 
march  that,  thoroughly  done  up  by  fatigue  and  hard- 
ship, the  corps  reached  the  little  village  of  Raon,  in  the 
heart  of  the  forest  of  Bousson.  There  was  no  possible 
fear  of  attack  here,  and  the  commandant  decided  that  for 
the  night  there  was  no  occasion  for  any  of  the  men  to  be 
out  as  sentries.  The  villagers  at  once  took  charge  of  the 
animals,  and  turned  them  into  a  rough  inclosure.  The 
men  were  too  much  done  up  even  to  care  about  keeping 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS,  73 

awake  until  supper  could  be  cooked,  and  being  divided 
among  the  houses  of  the  village,  they  threw  themselves 
down,  and  were  fast  asleep  in  a  few  minutes*- 

The  next  morning  the  sun  shone  out  brightly,  and  the 
men,  turning  out  after  a  long  sleep,  felt  quite  different 
creatures  to  the  tired  band  who  had  wearily  crawled  into 
the  village.  The  bright  sky,  the  fresh  morning  air,  the 
pleasant  odor  of  the  great  pine-forest  around  them,  and 
the  bracing  atmosphere  at  the  height  of  fifteen  hundred 
feet  above  the  sea,  at  once  refreshed  and  cheered  them. 

There  was  a  brief  morning  parade,at  which  Tim  Doyle, 
for  the  first  time,  took  his  place  with  a  rifle  on  his 
shoulder,  and  then  the  major  dismissed  them,  saying  that 
there  would  be  no  further  parade  that  day,  and  that  the 
men  could  amuse  themselves  as  they  liked. 

In  a  short  time  every  man  was  following  the  bent  of 
his  own  inclination.  First,  however,  there  was  a  general 
cleaning  of  the  rifles  and  accouterments;  then  most  of 
the  men  went  down  to  the  stream,  and  there  was  a  great 
washing  of  clothes,  accompanied  with  much  laughing 
and  joking.  Then  needles  and  threads  were  obtained 
from  the  women  of  the  village,  and  there  was  much 
mending  and  darning,  for  the  past  three  days'  work 
among  rocks  and  woods  had  done  no  little  damage  to 
their  uniforms.  Next  came  the  grand  operation  of 
breakfast,  for  which  two  of  the  sheep  had  been  killed. 
This  being  the  first  regular  meal  that  they  had  had  for 
three  days  was  greatly  enjoyed;  after  it  was  eaten  most 
of  the  men  lit  their  pipes  and  prepared  to  pass  a  day  of 
delightful  idleness.  Two  or  three  of  the  village  boys 
had  been  engaged  as  cowherds  and  shepherds,  and  the 
animals  were  all  driven  out  into  the  woods,  where,  in 
the  open  glades,  they  would  find  an  abundance  of  food. 
The  cart  was  unanimously  condemned  as  worse  than 
useless.     An  empty  shed  was  turned  into  a  storehouse, 


74  TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

and  it  was  determined  that  snch  stores  of  powder,  etc., 
as  might  he  required  upon  each  expedition  should  b© 
packed  upon  the  horse's  back,  and  if  the  horse  could  not 
take  all  required  that  other  horses  should  be  hired. 

The  Barclays,  with  their  cousins,  started  for  a  ramble 
in  the  wood,  taking  with  them  the  Irishman,  whose  good 
humor  and  unflagging  spirits  during  the  last  three  days 
had  made  him  a  general  favorite. 

"Sure,  and  are  there  any  wild  bastes  in  the  wood, 
your  honor?  because,  if  there  be,  it  would  be  well  to  take 
our  rifles  with  us.  It  would  be  mighty  unpleasant  to 
come  across  a  lion  or  a  tiger,  and  not  to  be  able  to  pass 
him  the  time  of  day." 

"No,  Tim,  we  shall  meet  neither  lions  nor  tigers,  so 
you  need  not  trouble  yourself  with  a  rifle.  A  hundred 
years  ago  we  might  have  met  with  a  bear  or  a  wild  boar, 
but  they  have  disappeared  long  since.  It  is  possible  that 
there  are  a  few  wolves  scattered  about,  but  they  are 
never  formidable  to  any  but  a  solitary  person,  even  in 
winter,  and  at  all  other  times  fly  from  man's  approach." 

The  party  had  a  charming  ramble,  for  the  scenery  here 
was  very  fine.  At  times  the  forest  was  so  thick  that 
they  could  see  no  glimpse  of  the  sky,  and  the  trunks  of 
the  trees  seemed  to  make  a  wall  all  round  them;  then, 
again,  it  would  open,  and  they  would  obtain  a  glimpse 
over  the  country  far  away,  rise  beyond  rise,  to  the  plains 
of  Champagne;  or  if  the  view  were  behind,  instead  of  in 
front  of  them,  they  could  see  the  tops  of  the  highest 
range  of  the  Vosges,  rising  hill  above  hill,  and  often 
wooded  to  the  very  summit;  the  Donon,  one  of  the  high- 
est points  of  the  range,  being  immediately  behind  them. 

The  villages  are  here  few  and  far  between,  and  the 
people  extremely  poor,  for  the  soil  is  poor,  and  although 
in  summer  the  cattle,  which  form  their  only  wealth,  are 
able  to  pick  up  an  abundance  of  food  in  the  forests,  they 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  URS.  75 

have  a  hard  struggle  to  keep  them  alive  during  the  win- 
ter. Their  language  is  German,  and  their  appearance 
and  dress  rather  German  than  French,  but  notwithstand- 
ing this,  they  were  thoroughly  French  in  spirit,  and 
regarded  the  invaders  with  an  intense' hatred. 

Another  day  passed  in  rest  completely  restored  the 
most  exhausted  of  the  band.  Orders  were,  therefore, 
issued  for  an  early  start  the  next  morning,  the  object 
this  time  being  to  endeavor  to  cut  the  railway.  The 
band  were  to  march  in  a  body  for  the  slopes  of  the 
Vosges,  behind  Sarrebourg  and  Saverne,  and  were  then 
to  divide  into  companies  and  scatter  themselves  among 
the  villages  between  Lorquin  and  Marmontier,  so  as  to 
act  together  or  separately,  as  it  might  seem  expedient. 


76  THE  YOUNQ  FHAN0-T1EEUBS. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  TUHNEL  OF  SAVER2JE. 

It  is  needless  to  follow  the  corps  step  by  step  through 
their  marches,  for  the  names  of  the  little  villages 
through  which  they  passed  would  not  be  found  in  any 
maps  published  in  England,  and  would  therefore  possess 
little  interest  for  English  readers.  After  two  days'  long 
marches  the  main  body  of  the  corps  reached  a  village 
situated  in  a  wood,  at  about  four  miles  from  the  great 
rock  tunnel  of  Saverne.  The  fourth  company  had  been 
let  at  a  village  five  miles  to  the  left,  while  the  third  com- 
pany were  next  day  to  march  forward  to  a  place  at  about 
the  same  distance  to  the  right.  Their  orders  were  to 
keep  a  sharp  lookout,  to  collect  news  of  the  movements 
and  strength  of  the  enemy,  but  not  to  undertake  any 
expedition,  or  to  do  anything  whatever  to  lead  the  enemy 
to  guess  at  their  presence  in  the  neighborhood,  as  it  was 
of  vital  importance  that  they  should  not  be  put  upon 
their  guard  until  the  great  blow  was  struck. 

As  soon  as  they  had  marched  into  the  village,  the 
principal  inhabitants  came  forward,  and  a  consultation 
was  held  as  to  providing  lodgings.  After  some  conversa- 
tion it  was  agreed  that  the  officers  should  have  quarters 
in  the  village,  and  that  the  schoolrooms,  two  in  number, 
should  be  placed  at  the  disposal  of  the  men.  They  were 
good-sized  rooms,  and  would  hold  thirty  men  each  with- 
out difficulty.  The  company  who  were  to  march  for- 
ward in  the  morning  were  provided  with  quarters  in  the 
village. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  "<7 

Ralph  and  Percy  Barclay,  as  usual,  acted  as  interpre- 
ters between  Major  Tempe  and  the  inhabitants,  for 
neither  the  major  nor  any  of  his  officers  spoke  German. 
That  language,  indeed,  was  spoken  only  by  a  few  men  in 
the  whole  corps,  and  these  the  commandant  had  divided 
among  the  other  companies,  in  order  that  each  company 
might  be  able  to  shift  for  itself  when  separated  from  the 
main  body. 

"Have  you  seen  this  proclamation ?"  one  of  the  vil- 
lagers asked.  "You  see  that  we  are  running  no  little 
risk  in  taking  you  in." 

Ralph  read  it,  and  as  he  did  so  his  face  flushed  with 
indignation,  and  he  exclaimed:  "This  is  infamous! 
infamous!" 

"What  is  it?"  Major  Tempe  asked. 

"It  is  a  proclamation  from  the  Prussian  general  com- 
manding the  district,  major,  giving  notice  that  he  will 
shoot  every  franc-tireur  he  may  catch;  and  also  giving 
notice  to  the  inhabitants  that  if  any  Prussian  soldier  be 
killed,  or  even  shot  at,  by  a  franc-tireur,  if  a  rail  be 
pulled  up  or  a  road  cut,  that  he  will  hold  the  village  near 
the  spot  accountable;  will  burn  the  houses,  and  treat  the 
male  inhabitants  according  to  martial  law,  and  that  the 
same  penalties  will  be  exacted  for  sheltering  or  hiding 
franc-tireurs." 

"Impossible!"  Major  Tempe  said,  astounded.  "No 
officer  of  a  civilized  army  could  issue  such  an  edict. 
Besides,  during  an  invasion  of  Germany  the  people  were 
summoned  by  the  King  of  Prussia  to  take  up  arms,  to  cut 
roads,  destroy  bridges,  and  shoot  down  the  enemy,  just 
as  we  are  going  to  do  now.  It  is  too  atrocious  to  be 
true." 

"There  it  is  in  black  and  white,"  Ralph  said;  "there 
can  be  no  mistake  as  to  the  wording." 

Major   Tempe   looked   grieved   as  well   as  indignant. 


78  THE  YOUNG-FRANC-TIREURS. 

"This  will  be  a  terrible  business/'  he  said,  "if  the  war  is 
to  be  carried  on  in  this  way.  Of  course,  if  they  give  us 
no  quarter  we  shall  give  them  none.  That  is,  we  must 
make  as  many  prisoners  as  we  can,  in  order  that  if 
any  of  our  men  are  taken  prisoners  we  may  carry  out 
reprisals  if  they  shoot  them.  It  will,  besides  this,  do  us 
great  harm.  Naturally,  the  villagers,  instead  of  looking 
upon  us  as  defenders,  will  regard  us  as  the  most  danger- 
ous of  guests.  They  will  argue,  'If  we  make  no  resist- 
ance the  Prussians  may  plunder  us,  but  at  least  our 
houses  and  our  lives  are  safe;  whereas  if  these  franc- 
tireurs  are  found  to  have  been  with  us,  or  if  they  make 
any  attack  in  our  neighborhood,  we  are  not  only  plun- 
dered, but  burned  out  and  shot!'  Of  course  we  are 
always  liable  to  treachery.  There  are  scoundrels  always 
to  be  found  who  would  sell  their  own  mothers,  but  now 
even  the  most  patriotic  cannot  but  feel  that  they  are 
running  an  immense  risk  in  sheltering  us.  Never 
before,  I  believe,  in  the  annals  of  civilized  nations,  did  a 
man  in  authority  dare  to  proclaim  that  persons  should 
suffer  for  a  crime  with  which  they  had  nothing  whatever 
to  do.  If  we  arrive  at  a  little  Village  how  are  the  people 
to  say  to  us  'We  will  not  allow  you  to  pull  up  a  rail!' 
and  yet  if  they  do  not  prevent  us  they  are  to  be  punished 
with  fire  and  sword.  And  these  people  call  themselves  a 
civilized  nation!  One  of  the  evil  consequences  of  this 
proclamation  is  that  we  shall  never  dare  trust  to  the 
inhabitants  to  make  inquiries  for  us.  They  will  be  so 
alarmed  in  case  we  should  attempt  anything  in  their 
neighborhood  that  they  would  be  sure  to  do  and  say 
everything  they  could  to  dissuade  us  from  it;  and  if 
inclined  to  treachery,  might  even  try  to  buy  their  own 
safety  by  betraying  us." 

Major  Tempe  was  speaking  to  the  other  officers,  who 
thoroughly  agreed  with  his  opinion.     Ralph  and  Percy 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIBEURS.  79 

had  remained  in  the  room,  in  case  any  further  questions 
might  be  asked  in  reference  to  the  proclamation.  They 
now  asked  if  anything  else  were  required,  and  upon  a 
negative  answer  being  given,  saluted  and  took  their 
leave. 

It  was  dusk  when  they  went  out,  and  as  they  walked 
toward  the  schoolroom  they  heard  a  great  tumujfc  of 
voices  raised  in  anger,  among  which  they  recognized 
that  of  Tim  Doyle. 

"Howld  yer  jaw,  you  jabbering  apes,"  he  exclaimed, 
in  great  wrath;  "give  me  a  lantern  or  a  candle  and  let 
me  begone.     The  boys  are  all  waiting  for  me  to  begin. " 

Hurrying  up  they  found  Tim  surrounded  by  a  few  of 
the  principal  inhabitants  of  the  village,  and  soon  learned 
the  cause  of  the  dispute.  Supper  was  served,  but  it  was 
too  dark  to  see  to  eat  it,  and  Tim,  always  ready  to  make 
himself  useful,  had  volunteered  to  go  in  search  of  a 
light.  He  had  in  vain  used  his  few  words  of  French  with 
the  villagers  he  met,  and  these  had  at  last  called  the 
schoolmaster,  the  only  person  in  the  village  who  under- 
stood French.  This  man  had  addressed  Tim  first  in 
French  and  then  in  German,  and  upon  receiving  no 
coherent  answer  in  either  language,  had  arrived  at  the 
conclusion  that  Tim  was  making  fun  of  them.  Hence 
the  dispute  had  arisen. 

The  boys  explained  matters,  and  the  villagers,  whose 
knowledge  of  England  was  of  the  very  vaguest  descrip- 
tion, and  most  of  whom,  indeed,  had  previously  believed 
that  all  the  world  spoke  either  French  or  German,  were 
profuse  in  apologies,  and  immediately  procured  some 
candles,  with  which  Tim  and  the  boys  hastened  to  the 
schoolroom. 

Two  candles  were  given  to  each  company,  and  one 
being  lighted  at  each  end  of  the  room,  and  stuck  upon 
nails  in  the  wall,  the  boys  were  enabled  to  see  what  the 


80  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRtfUBS. 

place  was  like.  Clean  straw  had  been  littered  a  foot 
deep  down  each  side  of  the  room,  and  fifteen  blankets 
were  folded  side  by  side  along  by  each  wall.  Upon  pegs 
above,  meant  for  the  scholars'  caps,  hung  the  haver- 
sacks, water-bottles,  and  other  accouterments,  while  the 
rifles  were  piled  along  the  center  of  the  room,  leaving 
space  enough  to  walk  down  upon  either  side  between 
them  and  the  beds. 

At  the  further  end  of  the  room  was  a  large  fireplace, 
in  which  a  log  fire  was  blazing,  and  a  small  shed  outside 
had  been  converted  into  a  kitchen. 

"We  might  be  worse  off  than  this  a  long  way,  Ralph," 
said  Louis  Duburg,  as  Ralph  took  his  place  on  the  straw 
next  to  him. 

"That  we  might,  Louis.  The  fire  looks  cheerful,  too, 
and  the  nights  are  getting  very  cold." 

"That  they  are,  Louis.  Ah!  here  is  supper.  I  am 
quite  ready  for  that  too." 

The  men  who  officiated  as  cooks,  and  who  by  agree- 
ment had  been  released  from  all  night-duty  in  consider- 
ation of  their  regularly  undertaking  that  occupation, 
now  brought  in  a  large  saucepanful  of  soup,  and  each  man 
went  up  with  his  canteen  and  received  his  portion, 
returning  to  his  bed  upon  the  straw  to  eat  it. 

"Anything  new,  Barclay?"  one  of  the  men  asked 
from  the  other  side  of  the  room. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  Ralph  said.  "New  and  disagreeable. 
Mind  none  of  you  get  taken  prisoners,  for  the  Prussian 
general  has  issued  a  proclamation  that  he  shall  shoot  all 
franc-tireurs  he  catches." 

"Impossible!"  came  in  a  general  chorus  from  all 
present. 

"Well,  it  sounds  like  it,  but  it  is  true  enough,"  and 
Ralph  repeated  word  for  word  the  proclamation  which 
he  had  translated  to  Major  Tempe.     As  might  have  been 


THE-YOUNG  FRANC-TIRED K&.  SI 

expected,  it  raised  a  perfect  storm  of  indignation,  and 
this  lasted  until,  at  nine  o'clock,  the  sergeant  gave  the 
word,  "Lights  out." 

In  the  morning,  after  parade,  Ralph  and  Percy  strolled 
away  together,  and  had  a  long  talk,  and  at  the  end  of  an 
hour  they  walked  to  the  house  where  Major  Tempe  had 
established  his  headquarters. 

"Good-morning,  my  friends,"  he  said  as  they  entered; 
"is  there  anything  I  can  do  for  you?  sit  down." 

"We  have  been  thinking,  sir,  Percy  and  I,  that  we 
could  very  easily  dress  up  as  peasants,  and  go  down  to 
Saverne,  or  anywhere  you  might  think  fit,  and  find  out 
all  particulars  as  to  the  strength  and  position  of  the 
enemy.  No  one  would  suspect  two  boys  of  being  franc- 
tireurs,  it  would  be  unlikely  in  the  extreme  that  anyone 
would  ask  us  any  questions,  and  if  we  were  asked  we 
should  say  we  belonged  to  some  village  in  the  mountains, 
and  had  come  down  to  buy  coffee,  and  other  necessaries. 
The  risk  of  detection  would  be  next  to  nothing,  for  we 
speak  German  quite  well  enough  to  pass  for  lads  from 
the  mountains." 

Major  Tempe  was  silent  a  minute.  "You  know  you 
would  be  shot  at  once  if  you  were  detected." 

"No  doubt,  sir,  but  there  is  no  reason  in  the  world  why 
we  should  be  detected.  The  Prussians  can't  know  every 
one  by  sight,  even  within  the  town  itself,  and  will  not 
notice  us  at  all;  if  they  do,  our  answer  is  sufficient." 

"I  tell  you  frankly,  boys,  I  ^vas  thinking  only  last 
night  of  the  matter,  but  however  much  you  may  make 
light  of  it,  there  is,  of  course,  a  certain  amount  of  danger 
in  acting  as  spies,  and  your  father,  my  friend  Captain 
Barclay,  might  say  to  me,  if  evil  came  of  it,  'I  gave  you 
my  boys  to  fight  for  France,  and  you  have  sent  them  to 
their  death  as  spies.'  So  I  resolved  to  say  nothing 
about  it." 


82  THE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREUR8. 

"But  now  we  have  offered,  sir,  the  case  is  different," 
Kalph  said.  "From  our  knowledge  of  the  language,  and 
from  our  age,  we  are  better  fitted  than  any  one  in  the 
corps  to  perform  this  service,  and  therefore  it  would  be 
clearly  our  duty  to  perform  it  were  it  greatly  more  dan- 
gerous than  it  is.  Our  father  said  to  us  at  starting,  'Do 
your  duty,  boys,  whatever  the  danger.'  We  will  see  about 
our  clothes.  There  can  be  no  difficulty  about  that — 
there  are  several  lads  in  the  village  whose  things  would 
lit  us.    Shall  we  come  in  this  afternoon  for  instructions?" 

"Thank  you,  lads,"  Major  Tempo  said  warmly.  "I 
trust,  with  you,  that  no  harm  will  come  of  it.  But  your 
offer  is  of  too  great  advantage  to  the  corps  for  me  to 
persist  in  my  refusal." 

Upon  leaving  the  quarters  of  the  commandant,  the 
boys  went  at  once  to  the  house  of  a  farmer,  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  village,  where  the  day  before  they  had 
noticed  two  boys  of  about  their  own  size.  They  explained 
to  the  farmer  that  they  wanted  to  buy  of  him  a  suit  of 
the  working  clothes  of  each  of  his  sons.  Greatly  sur- 
prised at  this  request,  the  farmer  had  inquired  what  they 
could  possibly  want  them  for,  and  Ralph,  who  thought 
it  better  not  to  trust  him  with  the  secret,  replied  that  as 
the  Prussian  general  had  given  notice  that  he  should 
shoot  all  franc- tireurs  he  might  take  prisoners,  they 
wanted  a  suit  of  clothes  each,  which  they  might  slip  on 
in  case  of  defeat,  or  danger  of  capture.  The  pretense 
was  a  plausible  one,  and  the  farmer  sold  them  the 
required  clothes,  charging  only  about  twice  their  cost 
when  new. 

The  boys  took  the  parcel,  and  instead  of  returning  to 
the  village  direct,  they  hid  it  carefully  in  a  wood  at  a 
short  distance  away.  They  then  returned,  and  in  the 
afternoon  received  detailed  instructions  from  Major 
Tempe.     It  was  arranged  that  the  matter  should  be  kept 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  83 

entirely  secret,  lest  any  incautious  word  might  be  over- 
heard and  reported.  They  were  to  start  at  daybreak 
upon  the  following  morning,  their  cousins  and  Tim 
Doyle  being  alone  taken  into  their  confidence;  their 
friends  regretted  much  that  they  could  not  accompany 
them  and  share  their  danger.  The  boys  pointed  out, 
however,  that  even  could  they  have  spoken  German 
fluently,  they  could  not  have  gone  with  them,  as, 
although  two  strangers  would  excite  no  attention  what- 
ever, five  would  be  certain  to  do  so. 

The  next  morning  they  started  together  as  if  for  a 
walk.  Upon  reaching  the  spot  in  the  wood  where  the 
peasants'  clothes  were  hidden,  the  boys  took  off  their 
uniforms,  which  were  wrapped  up  and  concealed  in  the 
same  place,  and  put  on  the  clothes.  They  fitted  fairly, 
and  more  than  that  was  not  necessary,  as  peasants' 
clothes  are  seldom  cut  accurately  to  the  figure.  Round- 
ing their  shoulders,  and  walking  with  clumping  sorts  of 
strides,  no  one  would  have  imagined  that  they  were 
other  than  they  pretended  to  be,  two  awkward-looking 
young  Alsatian  lads.  They  cut  two  heavy  sticks, 
exchanged  a  hearty  good-by  with  their  friends,  and 
started  for  Saverne. 

Two  hours  later  they  were  walking  in  its  streets,  star- 
ing into  the  shop-windows,  and  at  everything  that  was 
going  on,  with  the  open-mouthed  curiosity  of  two  young 
country  lads.  Then  they  made  a  few  purchases,  some 
coffee,  sugar,  and  pepper,  tied  them  in  a  colored  pocket- 
handkerchief,  and  then  went  into  a  small  cabaret  where 
they  saw  some  German  soldiers  drinking,  sat  down  at  a 
table,  and  called  for  some  bread  and  cheese  and  beer. 
"While  they  were  taking  them,  they  listened  to  the  con- 
versation of  the  soldiers.  The  only  information  that 
they  gleaned  from  it  was  that  the  men  seemed  to  have 
no  expectation  whatever  of  any  early  movement,  and 


84  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

that  they  were  heartily  sick  of  the  monotony  of  the 
place,  and  the  hard  work  of  patrolling  the  line  of  rail- 
way night  and  day. 

Presently  the  soldiers  paid  for  their  beer  and  left,  and 
some  of  the  townspeople  came  in  and  took  the  places 
they  had  left.  Their  conversation  of  course  turned  on 
the  Prussian  occupation,  and  deep  were  the  curses 
heaped  upon  the  invaders.  The  only  thing  mentioned 
in  their  favor  was  the  smallnessof  their  number.  There 
were  not  over  two  hundred  men;  and  this  amount 
weighed  but  lightly  upon  Saverne,  compared  with  the 
fifty,  sixty,  or  a  hundred  quartered  at  every  little  village 
along  the  line  of  railway. 

The  boys  had  now  learned  what  they  most  wanted  to 
know,  and  paying  for  their  refreshment,  went  out  again 
into  the  street.  Then  they  walked  to  the  railway  sta- 
tion, where  they  saw  several  soldiers  on  guard,  and  then 
set  off  to  a  point  where  they  could  see  the  entrance  to 
the  tunnel.  There  two  soldiers  were  on  guard;  while 
others  were  stationed  at  short  distances  all  along  the 
line. 

The  boys  now  went  up  to  a  wood  whence,  unseen  them- 
selves, they  could  watch  the  trains  passing.  They  came 
along  nearly  every  half-hour — immensely  long  trains 
filled  with  stores  of  all  kinds.  As  it  became  dusk  they 
saw  a  body  of  Prussian  soldiers  marching  down  the  line, 
relieving  the  sentries,  and  placing  fresh  ones  at  distances 
of  little  more  than  fifty  yards  apart.  These  marched 
backward  and  forward  until  they  met  each  other,  then 
returning  until  they  faced  their  comrade  at  the  other 
end  of  their  beat. 

"We  can  be  off  now,  Percy,"  Ralph  said,  rising;  "our 
news  is  bad,  for  it  will  be  by  no  means  so  easy  to  cut  the 
line  as  we  had  expected.  These  weasels  won't  be  very 
easily  caught  asleep." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  85 

"No,  indeed,"  Percy  said;  "the  idea  of  cutting  the 
line  sounded  so  easy  when  we  were  at  a  distance,  but  it  is 
quite  a  different  matter  now  we  are  here." 

Upon  their  return  they  found  with  some  difficulty  the 
place  \where  they  had  hidden  their  uniforms;  again 
changed  clothes,  and  then  carrying  those  they  had  just 
taken  off,  made  up  into  bundles,  they  re-entered  the 
village,  and  went  straight  to  headquarters. 

Major  Tempe  was  at  dinner  with  the  other  officers, 
and  received  them  with  great  pleasure,  for  he  had  been 
anxious  all  day  lest  any  misfortune  might  befall  them. 

Finding  that  they  had  had  nothing  to  eat  since  early 
in  the  morning,  he  at  once  invited  them  to  sit  down  to 
dinner,  for  military  discipline  is  far  less  strict  in  these 
matters  in  France  than  it  is  in  England,  and  among  the 
corps  of  franc-tireurs  especially,  as  among  the  English 
volunteers,  where  the  private  is,  in  many  cases,  equal  to 
or  superior  to  his  officer  in  social  standing,  the  difference 
of  rank  is  very  much  put  aside,  except  on  duty. 

"And  you  say  that  they  have  a  sentinel  at  every  fifty 
or  sixty  yards  along  the  line?"  Major  Tempe  said,  when 
Ralph  had  given  an  account  of  their  day's  investigation. 
"That  appears  to  me  to  be  fatal  to  our  plans." 

"Why  so?"  Lieutenant  de  Maupas,  who  commanded 
the  first  company,  asked.  "It  seems  to  me  that  nothing 
could  be  easier.  Suppose  we  fell  upon  any  given  point, 
the  sentries  near  it  would  be  at  once  killed  or  made  pris- 
oners: and  even  allowing,  as  young  Barclay  says,  that 
there  are  troops  in  all  the  villages,  it  would  be  a  good 
half-hour  before  a  force  sufficient  to  disturb  us  could 
arrive." 

"That  is  true  enough,"  Major  Tempe  answered. 
"But  what  could  we  do  in  half  an  hour?  We  might  pull 
up  two  hundred  yards  of  rail.  What  real  advantage 
would  be  gained  by  that?     The  line  of  sentries  along  tho 


8$  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS 

rail  would,  by  firing  their  rifles,  pass  the  news  ten  miles 
in  half  as  many  minutes,  and  the  trains  would  be  stopped 
long  before  they  arrived  at  the  break.  Each  train  car- 
ries, I  know,  workmen  and  materials  for  repairing  the 
line;  and  as  it  would  be  impossible  for  us  to  carry  away 
the  rails  after  pulling  them  up,  they  would  be  replaced 
in  as  short  a  time  as  it  took  us  to  tear  them  up;  and  the 
consequence  would  be  that  the  traffic  would  only  be  sus- 
pended for  an  hour  or  two  at  most.  For  a  break  to  be 
of  any  real  utility  whatever,  it  must  last  for  days,  if  not 
for  weeks.  The  great  coup,  of  course,  would  be  the 
destruction  of  the  rock-tunnel  of  Saverne,  which  was  the 
special  object  of  our  presence  here.  Failing  that,  we 
must  try  a  bridge.  The  tunnel,  however,  is  the  great 
affair.  Once  destroyed,  there  would  be  no  repairing  it 
for  many  weeks.  My  proposition  is,  therefore,  that  we 
turn  our  attention  at  once  to  that  point." 

There  was  a  general  murmur  of  assent. 

"The  best  course  would  be  for  Hardin's  company  to 
march  direct  to  the  other  end  of  the  tunnel,  seize  it, 
and  prevent  interference  from  that  end;  while  the  others 
then  seize  the  Saverne  end,  and  hold  it  while  prepara- 
tions are  made  for  blowing  it  up.  Then,  when  the 
match  is  lighted,  fall  back,  if  possible,  before  the  arrival 
of  heavy  bodies  of  the  enemy. " 

"Nothing  could  be  better/'  Lieutenant  de  Maupas 
exclaimed,  and  the  other  officers  agreed  with  him. 

"What  day  do  you  propose  for  the  movement?" 

"The  day  after  to-morrow  at  daybreak,"  Major  Tempe 
said.  "That  will  give  us  plenty  of  time  to  send  orders 
to  the  other  two  companies,  and  the  sooner  it  is  done 
the  better." 

The  conference  was  about  to  break  up,  when  the  sur- 
geon, who  had  listened  in  silence,  said:  "The  general 
plan  is  simple  enough ;  but  tell  me,  how  do  you  propose 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIUEURS.  87 

to  set  about  blowing  the  tunnel  up?  You  may  be  able 
to  hold  it  for  half  an  hour,  at  most.  How  do  you  think 
of  proceeding ?" 

Major  Tempe  and  his  officers  looked  at  each  other. 
They  had  not  as  yet  thought  the  matter  over,  but  the 
instant  it  was  put  plainly  before  them,  they  saw  the 
difficulty. 

"Oh,"  Lieutenant  de  Maupas  said  confidently,  "we 
shall,  of  course,  put  the  nitro-glycerine  somewhere  in  the 
middle  of  the  tunnel,  and  blow  the  whole  affair  up." 

Lieutenant  de  Maupas  had  been  a  sailor,  and  his  quick- 
ness of  decision  and  go-ahead,  straightforward  way  of 
doing  everything  made  him  at  once  a  favorite  and  an 
amusement  to  the  men,  who  had  nicknamed  him 
"Grande  Vitesse,"  or,  as  we  should  say  in  English,  the 
"Express." 

"I  am  afraid  the  matter  is  rather  more  difficult  than 
you  imagine,  De  Maupas,"  Major  Tempe  said,  with  a 
smile.  "This  is  in  Ribouville's  way;  as  he  was  in  the 
engineers  he  will  know  all  about  it." 

The  officer  named,  however,  did  not  reply  for  some 
little  time,  but  sat  with  his  head  on  his  hand  in  deep 
thought. 

"I  feel  ashamed  to  own  it,"  he  said  at  last;  "but  I 
really  do  not  know  how  one  could  set  about  the  matter 
so  as  to  have  a  chance  of  really  destroying  the  tunnel 
after  so  short  a  time  for  preparation.  Were  the  tunnel 
an  ordinary  brick-lined  tunnel,  the  proposition  of  De 
Maupas,  slightly  modified,  would  no  doubt  have  the 
effect  of  bringing  down  the  brick  lining,  and  the  earth 
behind  would  fall  in  of  itself;  but  with  a  tunnel  cut  in 
the  solid  rock  it  would  be  difficult.  The  natural 
strength  of  the  tunnel  would  be  so  great  that  the  force 
of  the  explosion  would  simply  be  lost  through  the  ends. 
It  might  or  might  not  bring  down  a  few  masses  of  rock, 


88  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

but  one  could  not  rely  upon  it  doing  even  that.  If  I 
had  time  the  matter  would  be  easy  enough.  I  should 
make  a  deep  chamber  in  the  solid  rock  at  the  side  of  the 
tunnel,  insert  my  charge,  and  then  tamp  or  fasten  it  in 
with  masonry.  This  would  insure  its  destruction  at  the 
point  of  explosion;  buc  I  have  no  hope  of  any  great 
damage  being  done  by  merely  putting  two  barrels  of 
nitro-glycerine  down  upon  the  line,  and  then  firing 
them.  I  can  assure  you  the  point  mooted  by  the  doctor 
is  most  serious;  and,  as  far  as  I  see  at  present,  I  could 
do  nothing  in  half  an  hour  which  would  in  any  way 
insure  the  destruction  of  the  tunnel.  To  make  such  a 
chamber  as  I  speak  of  (to  hold  two  barrels  of  nitro- 
glycerine) would  be  the  work  of  four  or  five  days,  work- 
ing night  and  day,  even  with  the  aid  of  powder;  and,  of 
course,  it  would  be  out  of  the  question  to  hope  for  as 
many  hours." 

There  was  a  pause  of  consternation  as  Lieutenant 
Ribouville  spoke.  Here  was  the  end  of  the  grand 
scheme  from  which  they  had  expected  so  much.  At 
this  time  the  Germans  had  no  other  line  of  rail  at  their 
command,  and  the  destruction  of  the  tunnel  would  have 
been  a  disaster  equal  to  that  of  the  loss  of  a  pitched 
battle. 

"There  would  be  no  chance,  would  there,  of  our  hid- 
ing in  the  woods  under  which  the  tunnel  runs,  so  as  to 
bore  down  to  it,  and  blow  it  in  from  above?"  Major 
Tempe  asked. 

"None  whatever.  The  depth  to  be  bored  would  be 
considerable,  the  stone  is  hard,  and  it  could  not  be 
pierced  without  the  use  of  powder,  which  would  betray 
our  presence;  and  even  could  we  use  it,  and  were  the  men 
all  good  miners,  it  would  be  a  work  of  months  at  the 
very  least." 

There  was  a  silence  for  some  minutes,  and  then  the 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  89 

commandant  said,  "We  cannot  give  it  up  without  a 
trial.  Think  it  over,  Ribouville,  for  the  next  three  or 
fcur  days.  You  may  be  able  to  pitch  upon  some  plan; 
if  you  cannot  do  so  we  must  at  last  try  the  experiment 
of  exploding  our  nitro-glycerine  in  the  middle  of  the 
tunnel,  or,  at  any  rate,  as  far  in  as  we  can  carry  it  and 
make  our  retreat  in  the  half-hour,  which  is  all  the  time 
we  can  calculate  upon  holding  the  entrance." 


90  ■  TEE  YOUNG  FBANC-TIUEURS. 


CHAPTER  VIL 

A   BAFFLED   PROJECT. 

Before  leaving  the  headquarters  of  the  commandant* 
the  young  Barclays  asked  if  he  wished  that  they  should 
continue  to  keep  silence  upon  the  subject  of  their  expe- 
dition. The  commandant  replied  that  he  did  not  see 
that  it  could  do  any  harm,  provided  that  they  impressed 
upon  their  comrades  the  necessity  of  maintaining  an 
absolute  silence  upon  the  subject  when  any  of  the  people 
©f  the  neighborhood  were  present.  Although  the  vil- 
lagers might  appear  to  understand  no  language  but  Ger- 
man, they  might  yet  know  enough  French  to  glean  what 
was  said,  and,  if  traitorously  inclined,  to  warn  the  Ger- 
mans, and  thus  enormously  increase  the  danger  when  the 
Barclays  should  again  go  down  to  the  town. 

Their  cousins  had  already  heard  of  their  return,  for 
the  boys,  upon  sitting  down  to  dinner  at  the  command- 
ant's, had  requested  leave  to  send  a  line  to  their  cousins, 
who  would  be  anxiously  expecting  them. 

"Halloo!  you  Barclay,  where  have  you  been  to  all 
day?"  was  the  general  exclamation  as  they  entered. 

"On  duty,"  Kalph  said. 

"On  duty — yes,  but  what  duty?  The  Duburgs  have 
been  mysterious,  and  would  say  nothing.  The  sergeant 
here  knew  nothing  about  it  except  that  our  lieutenant 
told  him  that  you  had  leave,  and  Irish  Tim  has  been 
hanging  about  all  day  as  restless  as  a  cow  that  has  los* 
its  calf." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  91 

"We  have  been  down  to  Saverne,"  Ralph  said. 

There  was  a  general  exclamation  of  astonishment. 
Those  of  the  men  who  had  already  lain  down  upon  their 
straw  for  the  night  sat  up  again,  and  all  crowded  round 
to  hear  Ralph's  story,  which  he  at  once  told  at  length, 
and  which,  when  finished,  gave  rise  here,  as  it  had  done 
at  the  officers'  table,  to  an  animated  discussion.  Several 
of  the  men  shook  hands  warmly  with  the  Barclays,  con- 
gratulating them  on  their  offer  to  undertake  this  danger- 
ous service,  and  upon  the  valuable  though  unfavorable 
information  which  they  had  obtained.  From  this  time 
forward  the  men  ceased  to  attempt  to  pass  jokes  at  the 
expense  of  any  of  the  boys.  When  the  corps  was  first 
raised,  many  of  the  young  men  had  been  inclined  to  pro- 
test against  boys  being  accepted  when  the  list  could  have 
been  readily  filled  with  men;  but  by  this  time  the  boys 
had  proved  that  they  were  quite  as  capable  of  supporting 
fatigue  as  were  the  men.  They  had  behaved  equally 
well  in  action,  and  now  the  enterprise  of  the  Barclays 
testified  to  the  fact  that  in  a  dangerous  expedition  re- 
quiring coolness,  presence  of  mind,  and  nerve,  they  were 
equally  to  be  relied  upon.  Henceforward  there  was  no 
distinction  or  difference  between  the  various  members  of 
the  corps. 

Another  four  days  passed,  and  as  the  ex-officer  of 
engineers  could  suggest  no  certain  plan  for  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  tunnel  which  could  be  carried  out  in  the  time 
which  a  surprise  of  the  sentries  at  its  mouth  would  give 
them,  Major  Tempe  resolved  upon  delaying  no  longer, 
but  on  sending  four  men  into  the  tunnel  under  Lieuten- 
ant Ribouville,  with  instructions  to  go  as  far  as  they 
could  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  to  set  down  the  barrels 
against  the  rock,  to  light  a  fuse  cut  to  burn  a  quarter  of 
an  hour,  and  then  to  return  at  full  speed  to  the  mouth 
of  the  tunnel.    One  company  was  to  seize  the  other  end, 


93  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

to  tear  up  seven,  eight,  or  ten  rails,  and  to  retire  at 
once  into  the  woods,  as  the  delay  in  getting  the  rails 
into  their  places  again  would  prevent  any  train  entering 
from  that  end  in  time  for  its  occupants  to  see  and  extin- 
guish the  burning  fuse.  The  other  company,  which  was 
absent,  was  to  join  the  headquarters  the  evening  before 
the  attempt,  and  it  was  hoped  that  the  three  companies 
would  be  able  to  keep  the  enemy  at  bay  for  half  an  hour, 
so  as  to  give  time  to  the  party  with  the  nitro-glycerine  to 
take  it  to  the  required  position  and  rejoin  their  com- 
rades. Immediately  upon  their  doing  so  the  retreat  was 
to  commence,  as  the  enemy  could  not  possibly  penetrate 
the  tunnel  and  extinguish  the  fuse  before  the  explosion 
took  place.  The  attempt  was  not  to  be  made  till  the 
following  evening,  in  order  that  the  Barclays  might  go 
down  and  see  that  all  was  as  before  in  Saverne  and  along 
the  line. 

The  next  day,  accordingly,  the  boys  again  put  on  their 
disguises,  and  started,  as  before  taking  the  precaution  to 
change  in  the  wood,  so  as  not  to  be  seen  by  any  of  the 
villagers. 

Upon  reaching  the  spot  from  which  a  view  of  the  tun- 
nel was  obtainable,  they  stopped  with  a  simultaneous 
exclamation  of  dismay.  Not  only  were  two  sentries  sta- 
tioned near  the  entrance,  but  some  fifteen  or  twenty 
German  soldiers  were  sitting  or  standing  by  a  small 
building  at  a  short  distance,  which  had  evidently  been 
turned  into  a  guardhouse. 

"This  looks  very  much  against  us,  Ralph.  One  would 
think  that  they  had  got  information  of  our  being  near." 

"It  looks  bad,  indeed,  Percy.  Let  us  go  on  into  the 
town;  we  shall  perhaps  learn  something  about  it  there." 

A  sharp  walk  soon  brought  them  to  Saverne.  A  sentry 
was  on  duty  at  the  entrance  to  the  town,  and  several  of 
his  comrades  stood  near.     The  sentry  looked  as  if  about 


THE  YOUJSG  FRANC-TITiEUR8.  93 

to  stop  them,  but  seeing  when  they  came  up  that  they 
were  only  boys,  he  let  them  pass  without  question. 

"Worse  and  worse^  Percy;  something  is  up,  sure 
enough." 

This  became  more  evident  at  every  step  they  took,  for 
the  little  town  was  absolutely  crowded  with  German 
soldiers. 

"Unless  they  are  merely  halting  here  upon  their 
march  through,  it  is  all  up  with  our  plan,  Percy.  There 
must  be  over  two  thousand  men  here,  at  the  very  least." 
Upon  questioning  a  lad  of  the  town  of  about  their  own 
age,  they  found  that  the  fresh  troops  had  arrived  upon 
the  preceding  day — the  infantry,  two  thousand  strong, 
coming  in  by  train  late  in  the  evening  before,  and  three 
hundred  cavalry  marched  in  only  half  an  hour  before  the 
boys'  arrival.  They  were  all  quartered  upon  the  inhab- 
itants, and  there  appeared  to  be  no  sign  of  their  early 
departure. 

For  some  time  the  boys  walked  about  without  obtain- 
ing any  information,  although  they  entered  a  dozen 
•cabarets  and  drank  considerable  quantities  of  beer.  At 
last,  before  one  of  the  principal  cafes,  they  saw  ten  or 
twelve  German  officers  sitting  talking.  None  of  the 
inhabitants  were  sitting  at  the  cafe,  and  the  boys  dared 
not  go  in  to  ask  for  anything  there,  as  it  would  not  have 
been  in  accordance  with  their  appearance. 

"How  are  we  to  get  within  hearing,  Percy?" 

"Look  here,  Kalph:  I  will  limp  along  as  if  I  had 
something  in  my  shoe  which  hurts  me,  then  I  will  sit 
down  on  a  doorstep  close  to  them,  and  take  off  my  boot. 
You  can  sit  down  too,  and  take  some  of  the  bread  and 
cheese  which  we  put  in  our  pockets  because  we  could  not 
eat  it  at  the  last  place  we  went  in.  I  will  keep  my  boot 
off  to  ease  my  foot,  and  we  can  eat  our  bread  and  cheese 
as  slowly  as  we  like." 


94  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

"That  will  do  capitally,  Percy." 

In  another  couple  of  minutes  the  two  lads  were  sit- 
ting, as  agreed,  upon  the  step  of  a  door  close  to  the  cafe. 
They  could  not  hear  all  that  was  said,  but  could  catch 
the  sense,  as  the  German  officers,  as  is  their  custom, 
spoke  in  a  very  loud  voice.  They  belonged  to  the  infan- 
try, "and  were,  it  appeared,  in  ignorance  of  the  reason  of 
their  sudden  move  to  Saverne. 

Presently  a  captain  of  the  cavalry  came  along  the 
street. 

"Ah,  Von  Rausen,"  a  major  in  the  infantry  exclaimed, 
"are  you  here?  I  have  not  seen  you  since  the  day  you 
marched  from  Coblentz." 

"No,  indeed,  major,"  the  other  said,  saluting  as  a 
Prussian  officer  always  does  to  his  superior  in  rank,  the 
other  infantry  officers  all  rising  and  saluting  in  turn. 
"We  have  just  come  in  from  Hagenau." 

"Are  yon  in  a  hurry?"  asked  the  major.  "If  not,  sit 
down  and  let  us  talk." 

The  cavalry  officer  accepted  the  invitation,  and  for  a 
few  minutes  their  talk  ran  upon  mutual  friends.  Then 
the  major  said,  "By  the  way,  do  you  know  what  we  are 
here  for?  We  were  bustled  off  at  a  moment's  notice,  no 
one  knows  why,  except  of  course  the  colonel,  and  he  has 
not  thought  necessary  to  tell  us,  and  naturally  we  have 
not  asked  him." 

"Do  you  not  know?"  Captain  Von  Rausen  said.  "It 
is  no  secret — at  least,  no  secret  from  us,  but  a  secret 
from  the  people  here.  I  will  speak  in  French:  no  doubt 
there  are  plenty  of  spies  about." 

"There  is  no  one  in  hearing,"  the  major  said,  "except 
those  two  stupid-looking  lads  munching  bread  and 
cheese." 

"The  more  likely  to  be  spies,"  Von  Rausen  said. 
"Fellows  who  look  like  fools  are  just  the  people  chosen." 


THE  TO  UNO  FRANC-TIREURS.  95 

"Well,  speak  in  English,  then,  Von  Bauson,"  the 
major  said;  "we  both  understand  it,  and  we  should  be 
safe  then  if  all  Saverne  were  listening.  " 

"Yes,  that  will  be  safe.  Well,  then,  the  general 
received  information  yesterday  that  that  corps  of  franc- 
tireurs  who  cut  up  our  cavalry  near  Blamont  the  other 
day  are  hid  up  in  some  village  in  the  woods  four  or  five 
miles  from  here,  no  doubt  with  the  intention  of  making 
an  attempt  to  blow  up  the  tunnel.  The  idea  is  a  daring 
one,  and  if  the  plan  had  succeeded  it  would  have  done 
us  incalculable  harm;  as  it  is,  we  are  safe,  and  to-morrow 
night  we  shall,  I  believe,  make  an  expedition,  and  sweep 
the  woods  clear  of  these  troublesome  gentry.  These 
franc-tireurs  wili  be  mischievous  if  we  do  not  give  them 
a  sharp  lesson.  The  general's  proclamation  gave  notice 
that  every  one  of  them  taken  would  be  shot,  and  our 
colonel  is  just  the  man  to  carry  out  the  order. " 

"This  is  indeed  important/'  the  major  said.  "But 
how  did  we  get  the  information?     Is  it  certain?" 

"Quite  certain.  A  scoundrel  of  a  schoolmaster  at 
Grunsdorf,  a  village  somewhere  up  in  the  woods,  turned 
traitor  and  sent  a  letter  to  the  general  bargaining  that  he 
should  be  taken  on  as  a  spy  at  some  fabulous  salary,  and 
offering  to  begin  by  leading  the  troops  to  the  village 
where  these  franc-tireurs  are  hidden." 

"An  infamous  scoundrel!"  the  major  said  warmly. 
"Of  course  one  cannot  refuse  to  deal  with  traitors  when 
the  information  is  of  importance,  but  one  longs  to  put  a 
pistol-bullet  into  them.  Badly  as  the  French  have  come 
out  in  many  particulars  since  the  war  began,  there  is  not 
one  which  gives  me  such  a  mean  idea  of  them  as  the 
number  of  offers  which  have  been  sent  in  to  supply 
information  and  betray  their  countrymen." 

"Put  on  your  boots,  Percy,"  Ralph  said  in  a  low 
voice,  "it  is  time  for  us  to  be  off.     Don't  hurry,  and 


96  THE  YOUNG  FRANC- TIREURS, 

above  all,  if  they  should  take  it  into  their  headg  to 
address  us  suddenly  in  French  or  English,  don't  start  or 
seem  to  notice." 

The  major  was,  however,  too  absorbed  in  the  informa- 
tion he  had  received,  and  too  confident  that  the  English 
in  which  it  had  been  told  would  be  unintelligible  to  any 
one  who  might  overhear  it,  that  he  paid  no  attention  to 
the  boys,  who,  one  of  them  limping  badly,  went  slowly 
down  the  street,  stopping  occasionally  to  look  in  at  the 
shop  windows.  It  was  not  until  they  were  fairly  outside 
the  town  and  out  of  sight  of  the  German  sentries  that 
they  either  spoke  or  quickened  their  pace. 

"The  franc-tireurs  of  Dijon  may  thank  their  lucky 
stars  that  they  sent  down  spies  to  Saverne  to-day,  Percy, 
and  especially  that  we  of  all  the  members  of  the  corps 
were  selected.  If  we  had  not  been  where  we  were  just 
at  that  moment,  and  if  we  had  not  understood  English, 
it  would  have  been  all  up  with  the  corps,  and  no  mis- 
take." 

"What  an  infamous  scoundrel,  as  the  major  said,  that 
schoolmaster  must  be,  Ralph!  What  do  you  think  the 
commandant  will  do?" 

"He  has  nothing  to  do  but  to  retreat  as  quickly  as  we* 
can  go,  Percy;  but  if  it  costs  him  half  the  corps  I  hope 
he  will  hang  that  schoolmaster  before  he  goes," 

"I  hope  so  too,"  Percy  said;  and  scarcely  another 
word  was  spoken  until  they  reached  the  village.  It  was 
still  early,  scarcely  two  o'clock,  and  Major  Tempe  was 
drilling  the  whole  corps,  the  two  detached  companies 
having  arrived  that  morning,  when  the  boys,  having 
again  put  on  uniform,  approached  him.  Major  Tempe 
nodded  to  them  as  they  came  up.  "You  are  back  early," 
he  said.  "You  are  excused  from  drill;  I  will  see  you  at 
my  quarters  when  it  is  over." 

"If  you  please,  major,"  Kalph  said  respectfully,  "you 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  97 

had  better  dismiss  the  men  at  once.  We  have  news  of 
the  highest  importance  to  tell  you." 

The  major  looked  surprised,  but  seeing  by  the  boys' 
faces  that  the  news  was  very  serious,  heat  once  dismissed 
the  men,  telling  them  to  keep  near,  as  they  might  be 
wanted.  Then,  calling  his  officers,  he  proceeded  at  Giice 
with  the  Barclays  toward  his  quarters. 

"Excuse  me,  major,"  Ralph  said,  "but  instead  of 
going  to  your  quarters  would  you  move  to  some  open 
space  where  we  can  speak  without  a  possibility  of  being 
overheard  by  any  one?" 

Still  more  surprised,  Major  Tempe  led  the  way  to  some 
feiled  trees  at  the  edge  of  the  forest  a  short  distance  from 
the  village.  Here  he  sat  down,  and  motioned  to  the 
others  to  do  the  same. 

Ralph  then  told  his  story,  interrupted  many  times  by 
exclamations  of  rage  upon  the  part  of  his  auditors,  and 
giving  full  credit  to  Percy  for  his  idea  of  the  plan  by 
which,  unnoticed,  they  had  managed  to  get  within  hear- 
ing of  the  German  officers.  The  fury  of  the  French 
officers  knew  no  bounds:  they  gesticulated,  they  stamped 
up  and  down,  they  swore  terribly,  they  were  ready  to  cry 
from  sheer  rage. 

Major  Tempe  alone  uttered  no  remark  during  the 
whole  narration.  When  it  was  concluded,  he  sat  silent 
for  a  minute  or  two,  with  his  lips  pressed  together,  and 
a  look  of  deep  indignation  on  his  face. 

Then  he  rose,  and  said  in  a  solemn  tone,  "As  sure  aa 
the  sun  shines,  and  as  sure  as  my  name  is  Edward 
Tempe,  so  sure  shall  that  schoolmaster  of  Grunsdorf  ba 
hung  before  to-morrow  morning!  Lieutenant  Ribou- 
ville,  order  the  assembly  to  be  sounded,  and  form  the 
men  here  in  hollow  square.  Messieurs  Barclay,  you  will 
fall  in  with  your  company." 

A  little  surprised  and   hurt  that  the  commandant  had 


$8  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

said  no  word  of  commendation  to  them  for  the  service 
they  had  performed,  the  boys  hurried  off  to  their  quar- 
ters to  get  their  rifles.  "Sure,  Master  Ralph,  and  what 
is  the  matter  at  all?"  Tim  Doyle  said,  as  they  entered. 
"Sure  the  major,  honest  man,  must  have  gone  off  his 
head  entirely!  Scarcely  had  we  finished  our  maid  and 
began  to  smoke  the  first  pipe  in  aise  and  comfort,  when 
the  bugle  blows  for  parade.  'Confound  the  bugle!'  says 
I,  and  I  shoved  me  pipe  aside,  and  put  on  my  belt  and 
fell  in;  hardly  had  we  begun  the  maneuvers  when  your 
honors  arrived  and  said  a  word  private  to  the  major. 
The  words  weren't  out  of  your  mouth  before  he  dis- 
misses us  from  drill.  'Botheration,'  says  I,  'is  there  no 
pace  for  the  wicked?'  Back  I  comes  again,  and  takes  off 
me  belt  and  piles  me  firelock,  and  before  I  had  got  three 
draws  at  me  pipe,  and  was  just  beginning  to  enjoy  the 
creetur,  when,  crack!  and  there  goes  the  assimbly again. 
Sure,  and  the  major,  honest  man,  has  lost  his  head 
intirely;  and  it's  a  pity,  for  he  is  an  illigant  man,  and  a 
good  officer,  says  I." 

"Come  along,  Tim,"  Ralph  said,  laughing,  "else 
you'll  be  late  for  parade.  You  will  hear  all  about  it  in 
time,  I  have  no  doubt." 

In  five  minutes  the  men  were  all  assembled  in  a  hollow 
square,  two  deep,  facing  the  officers  in  the  center.  The 
men  saw  at  once  by  the  faces  of  Major  Tempe  and  the 
officers  that  something  very  serious  had  happened;  and 
they  had  no  sooner  taken  their  places  than  there  was  a 
deep  hush  of  expectancy,  for  it  was  evident  that  the 
commandant  was  about  to  address  them. 

"My  men,"  he  said,  after  a  pause  of  a  minute  or  two, 
"a  great  calamity  has  happened;  and  a  still  greater  one 
would  have  happened  had  we  not  providentially  received 
warning  in  time.  It  had  been  resolved,  as  you  would 
have  heard  this  evening,  had  all  gone  well,  that  to-night 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  99 

we  should  attack  the  German  sentries,  and  blow  up  the 
rock-tunnel  of  Saverne.  The  affair  would  have  been  hot, 
but  it  would  have  been  a  vital  service  to  France;  and  the 
franc-tireurs  of  Dijon  would  have  merited  and  obtained 
the  thanks  of  all  France.  It  was  for  the  purpose  of  the 
attack  that  the  two  companies  detached  from  us  were 
recalled.  All  promised  well  for  success.  Two  of  your 
number  had  been  down  into  Saverne  in  disguise,  and  had 
brought  us  full  information  respecting  the  force  and  dis- 
position of  the  enemy.  All  was  prepared,  the  chance  of 
success  favorable,  and  the  force  the  enemy  could  have 
brought  against  us  was  no  larger  than  our  own.  We 
should  have  saved  France,  and  immortalized  ourselves. 
At  the  present  moment  there  are  two  thousand  five  hun- 
dred men  in  Saverne.  To-morrow  night  this  village  is 
to  be  attacked,  and  every  franc-tireur  found  here  put  to 
the  sword." 

A  cry  of  surprise  and  rage  broke  from  the  men.  "And 
how  think  you  has  the  change  been  wrought?  By 
treachery!" 

Those  cries  of  rage  were  renewed.  "By  treachery!  A 
Frenchman  has  been  found  base  and  vile  enough  to  sell 
us  to  Prussia;  all  hope  of  success  is  over,  and  we  have 
only  to  retreat." 

"Who  is  he?  who  is  he?"  burst  from  the  infuriated 
men.     "Death  to  the  traitor!  death  to  the  traitor!" 

"Yes,  men,  death  to  the  traitor!"  the  major  said 
solemnly.  "It  is  the  schoolmaster  of  Grunsdorf  who  has 
sold  you  to  the  Prussians,  who  wrote  that  letter  to  their 
general  telling  him  of  your  intentions,  which  has  caused 
these  great  reinforcements  to  be  sent,  and  who  has 
ofiered  to  guide  a  force  to  surround  us  to-morrow  night." 

Another  low  cry  of  horror  and  indignation  broke  from 
the  men. 

"Is  it  your  opinion  that  this  man  has  deserved  death?" 


100  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

"Yes,"  was  the  unanimous  answer. 

"Then  he  dies/'  Major  Tempe  said  solemnly.  "You 
were  to  have  been  his  victims;  .you  are  his  judges.  Gruns- 
dorf  is  three  miles  from  here  in  the  woods,  not  far  from 
Saverne.  A  party  will  be  told  off  presently  who  will  be 
charged  with  the  execution  of  this  sentence.  I  have  now 
another  duty.  The  corps  has  been  saved  from  destruc- 
tion. You — all  of  us — have  been  preserved  from  death 
by  the  intelligence  and  courage  of  two  of  your  number. 
Ralph  and  Percy  Barclay,  stand  forward  !" 

The  two  boys  stepped  two  paces  forward  into  the  hol- 
low square. 

"Selected  by  me,"  continued  Major  Tempe,  "for  the 
duty,  from  their  perfect  acquaintance  with  German, 
they,  upon  their  first  visit  to  Saverne,  obtained  all  the 
information  required.  Upon  their  second  visit,  this 
morning,  finding  the  enemy  had  been  immensely  rein- 
forced, they  perceived  the  extreme  importance  of  discov- 
ering the  reason  for  the  arrival  of  the  reinforcements, 
and  their  intention.  With  a  coolness  and  tact  which 
does  them  the  greatest  credit,  they  contrived  to  arrive 
and  to  remain  within  hearing  of  a  number  of  officers, 
and  then  learned  the  whole  particulars  of  the  treachery 
of  this  man,  and  of  the  intention  of  our  enemies.  So 
important  was  the  secret  judged  that  the  Germans  were 
afraid  of  telling  it  in  German  or  in  French  lest  they 
might  be  overheard.  To  prevent  the  possibility  of  this 
they  conversed  in  English,  and  the  consequence  is  that 
we  are  saved  almost  by  a  miracle.  Ralph  and  Percy 
Barclay,  your  names  will  be  inserted  in  the  order  of  the 
day,  being  the  first  of  the  corps  to  whom  that  honor  has 
been  given;  and  I  hereby  offer  you,  in  the  name  of 
myself,  my  officers,  and  the  whole  corps,  my  hearty 
thanks  for  your  courage,  coolness,  and  devotion.  The 
parade  is  dismissed.     The  men   will   assemble  at  five 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  101 

o'clock  in  full  marching  order,  with  all  necessaries  and 
laecouterments." 

As  Major  Tempe  ceased  speaking  the  men  broke  up 
irom  the  order  in  which  they  had  been  standing,  and 
crowded  round  the  young  Barclays,  shaking  them  by  the 
hand,  patting  them  on  the  shoulder,  and  congratulating 
them  heartily  upon  the  service  that  they  had  rendered, 
and  upon  the  terms  in  which  their  commandant  had  thus 
publicly  acknowledged  it. 

At  five  o'clock  the  corps  assembled  again  in  heavy 
marching  order,  and  after  inspection  the  second,  third, 
and  fourth  companies  marched  off,  with  their  officers, 
who  alone  knew  their  destination,  at  their  head.  Major 
Tempe  remained  on  the  ground  with  the  first  company. 
After  waiting  for  a  few  minutes  they  were  marched  off  in 
the  direction  which  the  others  had  taken,  but  after  get- 
ting out  of  sight  of  the  village,  and  fairly  entering  the 
forest,  they  turned  sharp  off  and  took  the  direction  of 
Saverne. 


102  TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREXTR& 


CHAPTER  VIIL 

THE  TRAITOR. 

After  the  company  had  marched  for  half  an  hour  a  halt 

was  called,  and  their  commandant  said,  "I  dare  say  you 

have  all  guessed  the  object  which  we  have  in  view.    We  are 

going  to  carry  out  the  sentence  pronounced  by  the  whole 

corps.     We  are  going   to   have  that  schoolmaster,  that 

traitor,  who  has  sold  our  lives  to  the  Prussians,  and  who, 

which    is   of    infinitely   greater    importance,    has   done 

immense  injury  to  France  by  betraying  our  intention  of 

blowing  up  the  tunnel.     That  traitor  I  intend  to  have 

to-night,  and  if  I  have  him  I  will  hang  him  as  sure  as 

fate.     This  lane  which  we  are  following  leads  to  Gruns- 

dorf,  which,  according  to  the  information  I   collected 

before  leaving,  cannot  be  above  a  mile  distant.     Now  we 

must  be  cautious.     It  is  quite  possible  that  a  detachment 

of  the  enemy  may  have  been  sent  up  to  the  village,  and 

in  that  case  we  might  catch  a  Tartar.     Even  if  there  are 

no  Germans  there  we  must  be  cautious,  or  the  bird  will 

escape.     We  neither  know  him  nor  the  house  he  lives  in, 

and  as  he  would  naturally  guess  that  his  treachery  had 

been    discovered,  and   that  we   had   come  for  him,  he 

would  slip  out  into  the  forest  the  instant  he  saw  the  first 

bayonet  approaching.     It  is  essential  therefore  that  we 

should  obtain  accurate  information  of  the  state  of  aifairs, 

and  of  the  position  of  this  traitor's  house.     In  another 

half-hour  it   will  be  dusk.     The   Barclays   have   again 

volunteered  to  go  in  and  find  out  what  we  require.    They 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIBEUR8.  103 

'ill  go  on  at  once,  and  in  an  hour  we  will  follow,  and 
Remain  concealed  just  outside  the  village  until  they 
sturn.  Sergeant,  you  will  go  forward  with  them,  and 
akree  upon  the  place  where  we  shall  remain  hid  until 
tiley  join  us.  Now,  my  lads,  you  have  already  received 
your  instructions,  change  your  things  and  go  forward  at 
once." 

The  distance  was  further  than  they  had  expected,  and 
it  vas  nearly  dark  before  the  boys  entered  Grunsdorf. 
There  was  no  one  moving  in  the  quiet  village,  for  a  fine 
rain  was  falling  as  the  boys  walked  slowly  along. 

"There  is  no  one  to  ask,  Percy.  We  must  go  into  the 
public  house,  as  arranged,  and  ask  where  the  priest's 
house  is.  It  would  not  do  for  two  strangers  to  ask  for 
the  schoolmaster.  The  priest  will  tell  us  where  he 
lives." 

So  saying  they  entered  the  little  cabaret,  walked  down 
a  long  passage  leading  from  the  door,  and  paused  for  a 
moment  at  the  threshold,  for  in  the  room  were  some 
eight  or  ten  Prussian  soldiers. 

"It  is  too  late  to  retreat,  Percy;  come'in  boldly.'' 

Lifting  their  caps  they  walked  up  to  an  unoccupied 
table,  and  called  for  some  bread,  cheese  and  beer.  The 
landlord  brought  the  refreshments,  and  the  boys  had 
scarcely  begun  to  eat  when  a  Prussian  sergeant,  who  had 
exchanged  a  word  with  the  landlord,  evidently  in  refer- 
ence to  them,  strode  up  to  them,  and  laying  his  hand 
upon  Ralph's  shoulder,  said: 

"Who  are  you,  young  fellows?  The  landlord  says  you 
do  not  belong  to  the  village." 

"We  belong  to  a  party  of  woodcutters,  from  Colmar," 
Ralph  said  quietly. 

"Oh,  indeed!"  the  sergeant  said  in  an  incredulous 
voice;  "and  where  are  your  party?" 

"Out  in  the  forest,  at  the  place  where  we  have  begun 
to  fell  trees,"  Ralph  said. 


104  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIliEUIiS. 

"But  people  do  not  come  to  cut  wood  without  hors«s 
or  carts  to  take  it  away,"  the  sergeant  persisted. 

"They  are  up  in  the  forest  with  our  father."  Ralph 
said. 

"Have  you  heard  anything  about  this  party?"  :he 
sergeant  asked  the  landlord. 

The  man  hesitated  a  moment;  he  evidently  suspected 
also  that  the  boys  might  belong  to  the  franc-tireurs,  and 
was  anxious  to  say  nothing  which  could  harm  them. 

"No,"  he  said,  after  a  pause,  "I  can't  say  that  I  have 
heard  of  them,  but  I  know  some  of  the  forest  was  sold 
not  long  ago,  and  they  might  have  come  from  Coimar 
without  coming  this  way." 

"We  only  arrived  this  morning,"  Percy  said  quietly, 
"so  that  you  could  hardly  have  heard  of  us  unless  some 
of  the  people  of  your  place  happened  to  pass  when  we 
were  at  work,  and  we  have  not  seen  any  one  all  day." 

"At  any  rate,"  the  sergeant  said,  "I  shall  see  if  your 
story  be  true,  and  you  will  at  once  take  us  to  the  place. 
Corporal,  get  ten  men  in  readiness." 

"Certainly."  Ralph  said,  "if  you  will  allow  us  ta  finish 
our  supper,  we  will  show  you  the  way  at  once." 

The  sergeant  nodded  and  resumed  his  seat. 

"Look  here,  Percy,"  Ralph  said  quietly,  "we  are  in  a 
nasty  fix  this  time.  There  is  only  one  thing  to  be  done 
that  I  can  see.  If  we  both  go  they  will  shoot  us  to  a 
certainty,  for  although  one  might  make  a  bolt  in  the 
wood,  it  is  certain  we  could  not  both  get  away.  Only 
one  thing  is  to  be  done.  I  will  say  your  foot  is  bad,  and 
ask  for  you  to  stay  here.  Directly  we  have  gone  you  slip 
out,  and  go  as  hard  as  you  can  to  the  place  where  our 
men  are  hid.  I  will  bring  them  in  that  direction.  We 
shall  have  passed  the  place  before  you  can  reach  it,  at 
least  unless  you  can  get  out  at  once,  and  pass  on  in  the 
darkness.     Take  off  your  shoes,  so  as  to  run  lightly. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREUR8.  105 

we  pass,  fire  a  volley  right  into  us,  and  I  will  make  a 
cUrfc  into  the  wood  in  the  confusion. " 

i'But  you  might  be  shot  by  our  men,  Ralph;  they 
coi\ld  not  possibly  distinguish  you  in  the  dark.  No,  I 
will  go  with  the  men,  and  you  make  your  way  to 
Ternpe's." 

"No,  no,  Percy,  I  won't  have  that." 

"Very  well/'  Percy  said  doggedly,  "then  we  will  go 
together." 

There  was  a  silence  for  a  minute  or  two,  and  then 
Ralph  said: 

"Look  here,  Percy,  this  is  madness;  however,  aa  you 
won't  do  as  I  tell  you,  we  will  draw  lots.  I  will  put  a 
piece  of  crumb  in  one  of  my  hands.  You  shall  guess 
which  it  is  in.  If  you  guess  right  I  will  go  with  the 
Germans,  if  you  guess  wrong  you  shall  go." 

"Very  well,"  Percy  said;  "I  agree  to  that." 

Ralph  then  broke  off  a  small  piece  of  bread  and  put  it 
in  one  of  his  hands,  having  already,  before  he  made  the 
proposition,  broken  off  a  similar  piece  unobserved  by 
Percy.  He  then  put  both  hands  under  the  table  and 
then  lifted  them  again,  all  the  time  trying  to  appear  not 
to  be  engaged  upon  anything  out  of  the  way,  as  he  knew 
that  some  of  the  Germans  were  watching  them. 

"Left,"  Percy  said. 

Ralph  replied  by  opening  the  left  hand  and  dropping 
the  piece  of  bread  on  the  table,  at  the  same  time  putting 
his  right  hand  back  into  his  pocket  as  if  to  get  out  his 
handkerchief,  and  dropping,  as  he  did  so,  the  piece  of 
bread  it  contained  into  the  place. 

"There,  Percy,  fortune  has  decided  it.  Good-by,  God 
bless  you.  I  dare  say  I  shall  get  out  of  it,  but  if  not  give 
my  love  to  them  all  at  home." 

Then  he  finished  his  beer,  and  rose,  without  giving 
Percy  time  to  reply,  even  could  he  have  done  so,  but  the 


306  THE  YOUNG  FHANC-TIREURS. 

lad  was  so  much  choked  with  the  effort  to  keep  from 
crying  that  he  could  not  have  spoken.  Ralph  turned  to 
the  sergeant,  and  stretching  his  arms  with  the  natural 
air  of  a  tired  boy  objecting  to  be  disturbed,  said,  "Now 
sir,  I  am  ready  to  start.  I  suppose  there  is  no  occasion 
for  us  both  to  go,  for  my  brother  has  hurt  his  foot.  We 
shouldn't  have  come  in  to-night,  but  it  is  his  first  time 
out  with  the  woodmen,  and  he  is  not  accustomed  to 
sleeping  out  in  the  wet." 

"Yes,  one  is  enough;  he  can  stay,"  the  sergeant  said. 

"You  had  better  ask  the  landlord  to  show  you  a 
corner  where  you  can  sleep  on  the  straw,  Karl,"  Ealph 
said.  "It  is  no  use  waiting  for  me;  I  shall  be  back  in 
an  hour." 

With  a  nod  to  Percy,  Ralph  now  walked  steadily  to 
the  door.  The  sergeant,  with  the  men  told  off  for  the 
duty,  accompanied  him.  When  they  reached  the  street 
it  was  raining  heavily. 

"I  wonder,"  Ralph  said,  "whether  the  landlord  would 
lend  me  a  sack  to  put  on  my  shoulders." 

"Is  this  place  far  off,  youngster?"  the  sergeant  asked, 
peering  out  into  the  darkness. 

Ralph's  heart  gave  a  jump,  for  he  detected  in  the  tone 
a  certain  hesitation  as  to  taking  the  men  out  in  such  a 
night  upon  such  slight  suspicion.  He  was,  however, 
too  shrewd  to  show  any  desire  to  dissuade  the  sergeant 
from  it,  so  he  replied: 

"No,  it  is  no  distance  to  speak  of;  not  a  mile  at  most. 
We  should  be  there  and  back  in  half  an  hour  if  it  was 
light,  but  there  is  only  a  path  among  the  woods  and  it 
is  dark.  I  think  we  had  better  have  some  lanterns,  for 
I  do  not  think  I  could  find  my  way  without  them  to- 
night; at  any  rate  it  would  take  us  much  longer." 

"There,  boy,  that  will  do,"  the  sergeant  said,  laying 
his  hand  on  his  shoulder.     "I  am  satisfied  now  with  the 


\  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  10? 


trri 


th  of  your  story.  I  thought  for  a  bit  you  had  some- 
thing to  do  with  the  franc-tireurs,  who  are  about  here, 
but  I  see  I  was  mistaken.  Turn  in  again,  lads;  it  is  no 
use  taking  you  out  on  a  useless  search  such  a  night  as 
this  among  these  forests." 

Ralph  laughed  aloud  as  they  turned  to  go  down  the 
passage  again  to  the  corner.  "Won't  father  laugh," 
he  said,  "when  he  hears  that  you  thought  I  was  a  franc- 
tireur.  "We  haven't  seen  any  about  Colmar.  I  don't 
think  you  need  be  afraid  of  them  if  they  ain't  bigger  or 
older  than  I  am." 

By  this  time  they  had  entered  the  room  again,  and 
Ralph  saw  that  Percy  was  already  talking  to  the  land- 
lord, with  whom  indeed  he  was  on  the  point  of  leaving 
the  room.  He  turned  round  upon  hearing  the  party 
come  in  again,  and  gave  a  slight  start  of  pleasure. 

"J  am  soon  back,  Karl,  and  am  glad  that  it  is  so,  for 
frankly  I  too  am  tired,  and  it  i3  not  a  night  for  a  dog  to 
be  out.     1  will  go  in  with  you." 

"Stay,  landlord,"  the  sergeant  said.  "Give  the  boys 
another  glass  each  before  they  go  off." 

"Thank  you,"  Ralph  said;  "a  glass  of  good  beer  never 
comes  amiss." 

The  boys  stopped  while  the  landlord  filled  their 
glasses. 

"Now,"  said  the  sergeant,  raising  his  arm.  "Here's 
a  health  to  King  William." 

"Here's  a  health  to  King  William,"  Ralph  repeated. 
"I  am  sure  I  wish  him  no  harm.  And  now  with  your 
permission  I  will  be  off." 

The  landlord  led  them  to  an  outhouse  in  which  were 
some  trusses  of  straw.  Just  as  he  was  about  to  leave 
them,  Ralph  said  suddenly,  "Ah!  I  had  nearly  forgotten 
about  the  priest.  You  have  a  priest  here  have  you 
not?" 


308  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUBS. 

"Of  course,"  the  landlord  said.  "Do  you  take  us  for 
heathens?" 

"Not  at  all,"  Ealph  said,  apologetically;  "but  father 
told  me  to  call  and  pay  him  for  some  masses.  My  eldest 
sister  was  very  ill  when  we  came  away,  and  father  wor- 
ries about  her.     Where  does  the  priest  live?" 

"The  last  house  on  the  left  as  you  go  out  from  the 
further  end  of  the  village.  But  any  one  will  show  you 
in  the  morning.  You  don't  want  the  light  any  longer?" 
For  the  boys  had,  while  speaking,  been  taking  oil  their 
boots  and  making  a  show  of  preparing  to  lie  down  on 
the  straw. 

"No,  thank  you.  Good-night.  Oh,  I  forgot;  what 
do  you  charge  a  cask  for  your  best  beer?  Father  wanted 
to  know;  and,  if  the  price  suits,  will  send  down  a  cart 
to  fetch  it." 

The  landlord  named  the  price  and  then  said  good- 
night, and  left  them. 

When  he  returned  to  the  room  where  he  had  left  the 
German  soldiers,  the  sergeant  asked  him  a  question  or 
two  concerning  the  boys,  and  the  landlord  repeated  the 
substance  of  the  conversation  which  he  had  just  had. 
This  allayed  the  last  suspicions  which  had  remained  in 
the  sergeant's  mind,  and  he  congratulated  himself 
greatly  that  he  had  not  taken  his  men  out  in  such  a 
night  upon  a  mere  groundless  suspicion. 

"If  the  landlord  repeats  that  yarn  to  the  Germans  it 
will  allay  all  suspicion,"  Ralph  said,  when  they  were 
left  alone,  "otherwise  the  sergeant  might  have  taken  it 
into  his  head  to  come  to  have  a  look  at  us,  and  although 
it  would  not  very  much  matter  that  he  should  discover 
that  the  birds  had  flown,  still  it  would  have  put  him  on 
his  guard,  and  he  might  have  doubled  the  sentries,  and 
made  it  much  more  difficult  for  us.  We  have  had  a  very 
narrow  squeak  for  it  this  time,  Percy,  old  boy." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANO-TIUEUR&  109 

"Very,  Ralph!  I  would  rather  go  through  twenty 
battles  again  than  feel  as  I  felt  when  I  saw  you  start  and 
thought  that  I  should  never  see  you  again  alive." 

"Well,  we  have  no  time  to  lose  now,  Percy.  Have 
you  got  your  boots  on  again?  If  so,  let  us  start  at  once. 
The  major  and  men  must  be  very  anxious  long  before 
this.     It  must  be  full  an  hour  since  we  came  in." 

"It  has  been  the  longest  hour  I  ever  passed,  Ralph. 
There,  now,  I  am  ready  if  you  are." 

"We  must  go  out  very  quietly,  Percy.  I  have  no 
doubt  that  they  have  got  sentries  posted  all  about. 
They  know  that  we  are  in  the  neighborhood.  I  wish  I 
knew  how  many  there  are  of  them. 

"I  found  out  from  the  landlord  that  all  the  fifteen 
men  we  saw  here  were  billeted  upon  him,"  Percy  said. 
"He  told  me  at  first,  when  I  asked  him,  that  he  could 
do  nothing  for  me  in  the  way  of  a  bed,  because  there 
were  three  or  four  in  every  room.  I  said  that  a  stable 
and  a  little  straw  would  do  for  us  very  well,  and  then  he 
thought  of  this  outhouse.  At  the  same  rate  there  must 
be  at  least  a  hundred  men  in  the  village." 

They  now  opened  the  door  of  the  outhouse,  went 
quietly  out,  and  made  their  way  through  a  garden  at 
the  back  of  the  house  toward  the  wood. 

"Stand  still  a  few  minutes,  Percy,"  Ralph  said  in  a 
whisper,  "and  let  us  see  if  we  can  find  out  where  the 
sentries  are  placed.  I  expect  that  they  form  a  cordon 
round  the  village.  Lie  down  by  this  wall,  we  can  see 
them  there,  and  they  cannot  see  us." 

It  was  well  that  they  did  so,  for  in  another  minute 
they  heard  a  tread  quite  close  to  them  and  a  Prussian 
soldier  passed  within  a  yard  of  where  they  were  lying. 
They  could  dimly  see  that  his  hood  was  over  his  head, 
and  hear  that  he  was  humming  to  himself  a  scrap  of 
some  German  air.     They  lay  there  until  he  had   again 


HO  THE  YOUNG  FEANC-TIREURS. 

passed  the  spot,  and  then,  having  found  out  the  direc- 
tion of  his  beat,  they  crawled  noiselessly  away,  and  in 
five  minutes  had  reached  the  edge  of  the  forest.  They 
did  not  enter  it,  as  it  would  have  been  impossible  in  the 
dense  darkness,  to  have  made  their  way  without  running 
against  trees,  and  snapping  off  boughs,  which  would 
have  given  the  alarm.  They  therefore  skirted  the  edge, 
knowing  that,  with  the  trees  behind  them,  they  would 
be  invisible  at  the  distance  of  a  yard  or  two,  and  in  ten 
minutes  reached  the  place  where  their  company  was 
awaiting  them.  As  they  approached  the  spot  they  gave 
a  short,  low  whistle,  which  was  the  agreed  sign  among 
the  band  for  knowing  each  other  on  night  expeditions. 
It  was  answered  at  once,  and  in  another  minute  they 
were  among  their  friends. 

"What  has  happened ?"  Major  Tempo  asked.  "We 
were  getting  very  anxious  about  you.  I  sent  Favarts  to 
reconnoiter  ten  minutes  ago,  and  he  has  just  returned, 
saying  that  he  can  hear  some  one  pacing  backward  and 
forward  on  the  road,  and  that  he  believes  it  to  be  a 
sentry." 

"He  was  quite  right,"  Ealph  said;  "the  village  is  full 
of  Germans.  There  must,  as  far  as  we  can  see,  be 
seventy  or  eighty  of  them  at  the  very  lowest,  and  there 
are  probably  a  hundred.  We  have  been  prisoners,  or 
something  very  like  it,  and  have  had  a  monstrously  close 
shave  of  it.  But  I  will  tell  you  all  that  when  we  have 
time.     Do  you  still  think  of  carrying  out  your  plans?" 

"Certainly,"  Major  Tempe  said,  "that  schoolmaster  I 
am  determined  to  have,  even  if  we  fight  our  way  in, 
and  shoot  him  in  bed.  Have  you  found  out  where  he 
lives?" 

"No  sir;  but  we  have  found  out  where  the  priest 
lives;  it  is  this  end  house,  the  end  of  the  village,  on  the 
left-hand  side  as  yon  come  out." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  \\\ 

ei£re  the  sentries  very  close' together?" 

"They  are  pretty  close,  bub  not  too  close  to  prevent 
onr  crawling  between  them  unobserved  on  such  a  night 
as  this." 

Major  Tempe  hesitated  for  awhile.  "It  would  be  too 
hazardous.'*  he  said;  "we  know  nothing  of  the  ground 
over  which  we  should  have  to  crawl,  and  it  would  be 
hardly  possible  for  thirty  men,  with  our  accouterments 
and  firearms,  to  crawl  along  without  snapping  sticks,  or 
striking  rifles  against  a  stone  and  giving  the  alarm.  No, 
the  sentry  at  the  entrance  of  the  village  must  be 
silenced." 

So  saying,  the  commandant  turned  to  the  men  who 
were  standing  round  and  explained  briefly  the  purport 
of  the  whispered  conversation  which  he  had  had  with 
Ralph.  He  then  chose  two  active  young  men,  and  told 
them  to  take  off  their  cloaks,  belts,  and  accouterments 
of  all  kinds,  and  to  leave  them  with  their  rifles  with  the 
men  who  were  to  remain  at  the  spot  at  which  they  then 
were,  to  cover  their  retreat  if  necessary.  They  were  to 
take  nothing  with  them  but  their  sword-bayonets,  which 
were  not  to  be  used  except  in  case  of  necessity,  and  a 
coil  of  light  rope.  Definite  instructions  were  given  them 
as  to  the  manner  in  which  their  attack  was  to  be  made. 
They  then  took  off  their  boots,  and  set  off  noiselessly 
upon  their  enterprise.  They  went  on  rapidly,  until 
they  were  within  plain  hearing  of  the  footsteps  of  the 
sentinel,  and  then  very  cautiously,  and  crouching  almost 
to  the  ground,  so  as  not  to  bring  their  bodies  on  a  level 
with  his  eye,  they  crept  up  foot  by  foot  to  the  end  of 
his  beat;  here  they  waited  a  short  time,  while  he  passed 
and  repassed  them,  unthinking  of  the  deadly  foe  who, 
had  they  stretched  out  their  hands,  could  have  touched 
his  cloak  as  he  went  past  them. 

At  last,  the  second  time  he  passed  them  on  his  way 


112  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

toward  the  village,  they  rose  together  behind  him.  In 
an  instant  one  had  garroted  him  with  a  choking  grip 
that  almost  strangled  him,  and  prevented  him  uttering 
the  slightest  sound,  while  the  other  grasped  his  rifle  by 
the  lock  so  as  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  its  being  fired. 
In  another  instant  the  rifle  was  torn  from  the  grasp  of 
the  almost  stupefied  man,  cords  were  passed  tightly  round 
his  arms  and  legs,  a  handkerchief  was  thrust  into  his 
mouth,  and  fastened  there  by  a  cord  going  across  the 
mouth  and  tied  behind  the  head,  and  before  the  bewil- 
dered man  fairly  knew  what  had  happened,  he  was  lying 
bound  and  gagged  by  the  roadside.  One  of  the  franc- 
tireurs  now  ran  back  to  tell  the  commandant  that  the 
men  could  advance;  while  the  other,  selected  specially 
because  he  understood  a  little  German,  put  on  the 
spiked  helmet  of  the  captured  sentry,  and  began  to  walk 
up  and  down  in  readiness  to  repeat  the  cry  of  "All 
well,"  should  it  be  passed  round. 

The  whole  company  were  now  moved  up.  Ten  men 
were  left  at  the  point  where  the  sentry  was  posted  to 
cover  a  retreat,  or  to  assist  the  sentry,  in  case  of  any 
party  coming  out  to  relieve  guard,  and  so  discovering 
the  change  which  had  taken  place.  The  others,  led 
by  the  commandant,  proceeded  forward  until  opposite 
the  priest's  house,  in  which  lights  were  still  burning, 
for  it  was  not  as  yet  ten  o'clock,  Major  Tempe,  accom- 
panied only  by  two  men  and  by  Ralph  Barclay  to  inter- 
pret, if  necessary,  now  went  cautiously  up  to  the  house. 

The  light  was  in  a  room  on  the  ground-floor.  To  this 
Major  Tempe  advanced,  and  looking  in  saw  the  priest 
sitting  reading  alone.  He  tapped  very  gently  at  the 
window,  and  the  priest,  looking  up,  gave  a  start  upon 
seeing  an  armed  man  looking  in  at  the  window.  Major 
Tempe  put  his  finger  to  his  lips  to  enforce  the  necessity 
for  silence,  and  made  signs  to  him  to  open  the  window. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TTUEURS.  113 

After  a  moment's  hesitation  the  priest  rose  from  his 
seat,  came  to  the  window,  and  unfastened  it,  taking 
great  precautions  against  noise. 

"Are  you  French  ?"  he  asked  in  a  whisper. 

"Yes;  a  commandant  of  franc-tireurs." 

"Hush,  then,  for  your  life,"  the  priest  said  earnestly. 
"The  village  is  full  of  Prussians.  The  officer,  with  a 
soldier  as  his  servant,  is  upstairs.  He  arrived  in  a  state 
of  fever,  and  is  to-night  quite  ill.  The  soldier  is  up 
with  him.  I  believe  the  sergeant,  who  is  at  the  inn,  is 
in  command  for  to-night.  A  soldier  was  dispatched  this 
evening  to  ask  for  another  officer  to  be  sent  out.  What 
can  I  do  for  you?" 

"I  only  want  you  to  tell  me  in  which  house  the  school- 
master lives.  He  is  a  traitor,  and  has  betrayed  us  to  the 
Prussians.     It  is  owing  to  him  that  they  are  here." 

"He  has  a  bad  name  in  the  village,"  the  priest  said, 
"and  we  had  applied  to  have  him  removed.  He  lives  in 
the  third  house  from  here  on  the  same  side  of  the  road." 

"Has  he  any  Germans  quartered  upon  him?" 

"Twenty  or  thirty  men,"  the  priest  said;  "the  school- 
room is  full  of  them." 

"Do  you  know  which  is  his  room?"  Major  Tempe" 
asked.  "It  would  be  a  great  thing  if  we  could  get  at 
him  without  alarming  the  enemy.  I  have  thirty  men 
here,  but  I  do  not  want  to  have  a  fight  in  the  village  if  I 
can  help  it." 

"I  know  his  house,"  the  priest  said.  "The  school- 
room is  at  the  side  of  the  house,  and  his  sitting-room 
and  kitchen  on  the  ground-floor  of  the  house  itself. 
There  are  three  bedrooms  over:  his  room  is  in  front  of 
the  house  to  the  right  as  you  face  it." 

"Thank  you,"  Major  Tempe  said.  "Have  you  a 
ladder?" 

"There  is  one  lying  on  the  ground  by  the  wall  to  the 
left.     I  hope  you  do  not  intend  to  shed  blood?" 


114  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

"No,"  Major  Tempe  said  grimly.  "I  think  that  I 
can  promise  that  there  will  be  no  blood  shed — that  is  to 
say,  unless  we  are  attacked  by  the  Prussians.  Good- 
night, and  thank  you.  I  need  not  say  that  for  your  own 
sake  you  will  not  mention  in  the  morning  having  seen 
us." 

The  commandant  now  rejoined  his  party,  and  they 
advanced  to  the  house  indicated.  He  then  chose  ten 
men  to  accompany  him,  ordering  the  rest  to  remain  at  a 
distance  of  twenty  yards,  with  their  rifles  cocked,  and  in 
readiness  for  instant  action.  The  ladder  was  then 
brought  forward  by  the  men  selected,  and  placed  against 
the  window.  Major  Tempe  had  before  starting  pro- 
vided himself  from  the  carpenter  of  the  village  with  an 
auger,  a  small  and  fine  saw,  a  bottle  of  oil,  and  a  thin 
strip  of  straight  iron.  He  now  mounted  the  ladder, 
and  after  carefully  examining  the  window,  which  was  of 
the  make  which  we  call  in  England  latticed,  he  inserted 
the  strip  of  iron,  and  tried  to  force  back  the  fastening. 
This  he  failed  in  doing,  being  afraid  to  use  much  force 
lest  the  fastening  should  give  suddenly  with  a  crash. 
He  had,  however,  ascertained  the  exact  position  of  the 
fastening.  Having  before  mounting  carefully  oiled  the 
auger  and  saw,  he  now  applied  the  former,  and  made  a 
hole  through  the  framework  at  the  junction  of  the  two 
sides  of  the  window  just  above  the  fastening.  Intro- 
ducing the  saw  into  this  hole,  he  noiselessly  cut  entirely 
round  the  fastening  with  a  semicircular  sweep  to  the 
junction  of  the  window  below  it,  and  as  he  did  so  the 
window  swung  partially  open  by  its  own  weight.  He 
now  descended  the  ladder  again,  took  off  his  boots,  and 
ordered  two  of  the  men  to  do  the  same,  and  to  put  aside 
all  arms  and  accouterments  that  could  strike  against  any- 
thing and  make  a  noise.  Then  taking  a  coil  of  strong 
rope  in  his  hand,  and  followed  by  the  two  men,  he  again 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR&  115 

mounted  the  ladder.  The  instructions  to  the  men  were 
that  one  was  to  enter  at  once  with  him,  the  other  to 
remain  where  he  was  until  he  received  the  signal. 

The  major  entered  the  room  noiselessly,  and  dropped 
at  once  on  to  his  hands  and  knees,  and  was,  a  minute 
after,  joined  by  his  follower.  He  now  crawled  forward, 
groping  his  way  with  the  greatest  caution,  so  as  to  make 
no  noise,  until  he  found  the  bed.  Then  rising  to  his 
feet  he  threw  himself  upon  the  sleeping  man,  and  in  a 
moment  had  him  tightly  by  the  throat  with  one  hand 
while  the  other  was  placed  firmly  on  his  mouth.  Para- 
lyzed by  the  suddenness  of  the  attack,  and  with  his  arms 
tightly  kept  down  by  the  bedclothes  and  the  weight  of 
his  assailant,  the  schoolmaster  was  unable  to  struggle. 

"Now  light  the  light,"  Major  Tempe  said  quietly. 

His  follower  at  once  struck  one  of  the  noiseless  Ger- 
man matches  which  are  used  almost  exclusively  in  these 
parts  of  France,  and  lighted  a  lamp  which  was  standing 
upon  the  table.  He  then  came  up  to  the  bed  and 
assisted  the  major  to  securely  gag  and  bind  the  prisoner, 
whose  looks,  when  he  saw  into  whose  hands  he  had 
fallen,  betokened  the  wildest  terror. 

"Search  his  pockets,"  Major  Tempe  said;  "we  may 
find  something  of  importance." 

In  the  breast-pocket  of  his  coat  was  a  pocketbook, 
and  in  it  among  the  papers  was  a  letter  from  the  colonel 
commanding  at  Saverne,  which  had  evidently  been 
brought  to  him  by  the  officer  of  the  detachment  that 
morning,  telling  him  to  come  down  to  Saverne  on  the 
following  evening  to  guide  the  troops  to  the  village  in 
which  the  franc-tireurs  were  stationed.  The  letter  also 
inclosed  ten  hundred-thaler  notes.* 

"They  are  part  of  our  blood  money,"  the  major  said 

*  A  thaler  is  about  equal  to  two  shillings. 


116  THE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREURS. 

grimly.  "Bring  them  away — they  are  the  fair  gpoil  of 
war.     Tell  Barre  to  come  in." 

The  man  on  the  ladder  now  joined  them,  and  together 
they  quietly  lifted  the  schoolmaster,  and  carried  him  to 
the  window.  They  then  fastened  a  rope  round  the 
prisoner's  body,  lifted  him  out  on  to  the  ladder,  and  low- 
ered him  gradually  down  to  the  men  below.  They  now 
blew  out  the  light  and  descended  the  ladder.  The  two 
men  who  had  waited  at  its  foot  raised  the  prisoner  on 
their  shoulders  and  carried  him  off  to  their  comrades, 
while  the  commandant  and  the  other  two  men  hastily 
put  on  their  boots,  seized  their  arms  and  accouterments, 
and  in  two  minutes  the  whole  party  were  marching 
quietly  down  the  village. 

No  incident  whatever  marked  their  retreat.  The 
sentry  had  been  undisturbed  during  their  absence,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  the  whole  party  were  out  of  the  village 
without  the  slightest  alarm  having  been  raised. 

They  followed  the  road  by  which  they  had  come  for 
about  a  mile  and  then  turned  off  a  side-path  in  the  forest 
to  the  left.  They  followed  this  for  a  short  distance  only 
into  the  forest,  and  then,  when  they  arrived  at  a  small 
open  space,  a  halt  was  ordered.  The  prisoner  was 
dropped  unceremoniously  to  the  ground  by  the  two 
franc-trieurs  who  carried  him  on  their  shoulders,  and  a 
fire  was  speedily  lighted. 

Major  Tempe  then  ordered  the  prisoner  to  be  unbound 
and  ungagged,  and,  with  a  guard  upon  either  side  of  him, 
to  be  placed  in  front  of  the  company  drawn  up  in  a 
semicircle  by  the  fire.  The  prisoner  was  a  man  of  about 
fifty-five,  with  a  sailow,  cunning  face.  He  could  scarcely 
stand,  and  indeed  would  have  sunk  on  his  knees  in  his 
abject  terror  had  not  the  guards  by  his  side  held  him  by 
the  arms. 

"Men,"  Major  Tempe  said,  "undoubted  as  the  guilt 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  117 

of  the  prisoner  appeared  to  be,  we  had  got  no  absolute 
proof,  and  a  mistake  might  have  been  possible  as  to  the 
name  of  the  village  whose  schoolmaster  had  betrayed  us. 
This  letter  found  in  his  coat-pocket,  and  this  German 
money,  the  price  of  our  blood,  leave  no  further  doubt 
possible."  And  here  the  major  read  the  Prussian  colo- 
nel's letter.  "Are  you  still  of  opinion  that  he  merits 
death?" 

"Yes,  yes,"  the  men  exclaimed  unanimously. 

"Prisoner,"  Major  Tempe  said,  "you  have  heard  your 
sentence.  You  are  a  convicted  traitor,  convicted  of 
having  betrayed  your  country,  convicted  of  having  sold 
the  blood  of  your  countrymen.  I  give  you  five  minutes 
to  ask  that  pardon  of  God  which  you  cannot  obtain  from 
man." 

The  miserable  wretch  gave  a  cry  of  terror  and  fell  on 
his  knees,  and  would  have  crawled  toward  his  judge  to 
beg  for  mercy  had  not  his  guard  restrained  him.  For 
the  next  five  minutes  the  forest  rang  with  alternate 
cries,  entreaties,  threats,  and  curses,  so  horrible  that 
the  four  boys  and  several  of  the  younger  men  put  their 
hands  to  their  ears  and  walked  away  so  a3  not  to  see  or 
hear  the  terrible  punishment.  At  the  end  of  that  time 
there  was  a  brief  struggle  and  then  a  deep  silence,  and 
the  body  of  the  traitor  swung  from  a  branch  of  one  of 
the  trees,  with  a  paper  pinned  on  his  breast,  "So  perish 
all  traitors." 

"Louis  Duburg,"  Major  Temp6  said,  "take  this  paper 
with  'Those  who  seek  a  traitor  will  find  him  here/  and 
fasten  it  to  a  tree,  so  that  it  may  be  seen  at  the  point 
where  this  path  turned  from  the  road." 

Louis  took  it  and  ran  off.  In  a  quarter  of  an  hour, 
when  he  returned,  he  found  the  company  drawn  up  in 
readiness  to  march;  he  fell  in  at  once,  and  the  troop 
moved  off,  leaving  behind  thern  the  smoldering  fire,  and 
the  white  figure  swinging  near  it. 


118  THE  YOUNG  FMANG-T1REUR& 


CHAPTER    IX. 

A    DESPERATE   FIGHT. 

Daylight  was  just  breaking  when  Major  Temp6 
marched  with  his  men  into  Marmontier,  at  which  place 
the  other  three  companies  had  arrived  the  night  pre- 
viously. It  was  a  large  village,  the  chief  place  of  its 
canton,  and  the  corps  was  most  hospitably  received  by 
the  inhabitants.  Had  they  arrived  the  evening  before  it 
would  have  been  impossible  to  provide  them  all  with 
beds,  and  they  would  have  been  obliged,  like  the  major- 
ity of  their  comrades,  to  sleep  on  straw  in  the  school- 
room. The  inhabitants,  however,  were  up  and  about 
very  shortly  after  the  arrival  of  Major  Tempers  com- 
mand, and  his  men  were  soon  provided  for  in  the  beds 
which  they  had  left. 

Beds  were  now  a  luxury  indeed,  as  the  corps  had  not 
slept  in  them  since  they  had  been  quartered  at  Baccarat, 
two  nights  before  their  first  encounter  with  the  Prus- 
sians near  Blamont.  It  was  with  great  unwillingness, 
then,  that  they  turned  out  when  the  bugle  sounded  at 
two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon.  They  partook  of  a  hearty 
meal,  provided  by  the  people  upon  whom  they  were 
quartered,  and  an  hour  later  the  whole  corps  marched 
out  toward  Wasselonne,  a  small  town  situated  on  the 
Breuche,  a  little  river  which,  winding  round  by  Mol- 
sheim,  falls  into  the  Rhine  at  Strasburg.  A  branch  line 
of  railroad  terminates  at  this  place.  When  they  arrived 
within  three  miles  of  it  they  turned  off  to  the  right,  for 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  119 

Wasselonne  bad  frequently  been  visited  by  the  Prus- 
sians, and  slept  at  the  little  village  of  Casswiller,  at  the 
edge  of  the  forest  of  (Edenwald.  Another  day's  short 
but  weary  marching  over  the  mountains  brought  them  to 
the  village  of  Still,  lying  high  upon  the  western  slope  of 
the  Vosges  above  Mutzig. 

From  this  point  they  had  a  splendid  view  over  the 
valley  of  the  Rhine.  From  their  feet  at  Mutzig  the 
railway  ran  through  Molsheim  straight  across  the  coun- 
try to  Strasburg,  the  beautiful  spire  of  whose  cathedral 
rose  above  the  flats  at  a  distance  of  about  fifteen  miles. 
The  day  happened  to  be  a  quiet  one,  and  the  deep  boom- 
ing of  the  guns  of  the  besiegers  could  be  distinctly 
heard. 

The  inhabitants  reported  that  the  German  troops 
patrolled  the  whole  valley,  pushing  sometimes  down  to 
the  walls  of  Schlestadt,  levying  contributions  and  carry- 
ing off  cattle.  The  village  was  very  poor,  and  was  able 
to  furnish  little  accommodations  in  the  way  of  quarters, 
still  less  in  that  of  food.  Six  of  the  villagers  were 
therefore  sent  through  the  forest  of  (Edenwald  to  Raon 
with  an  order  to  fetch  ever  two  oxen  and  thirty  sheep  of 
those  left  there  in  charge  of  the  head  man  of  the  village. 
They  returned  in  three  days,  Raon  being  only  about 
fifteen  miles  east  ^f  Still.  The  corps  was  now  broken 
up  into  its  fouy  companies,  who  were  stationed  in  the 
villages  od  the  Vosges,  and  at  the  edge  of  the  forest  of 
Trieswsld  and  Bar,  the  first  company  remaining  at  Still. 
From  these  villages  they  commanded  a  view  over  the 
whole  plain,  and  could,  with  the  aid  of  glasses,  dis- 
tinctly see  any  bodies  of  men  going  south  from  Stras- 
burg. Each  company  was  to  act  independently  of  the 
other,  uniting  their  forces  only  when  ordered  to  do  so 
by  Major  Tempe,  who  took  up  his  headquarters  with 
the  second  company,  that  having  the  most  central  posi- 


120  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

tion.  Each  company  was  to  keep  a  sharp  watch  over 
the  country  to  attack  any  body  of  the  enemy  not  superior 
to  themselves  in  force,  and  to  cut  off,  if  possible,  any 
small  parties  pillaging  in  the  villages  of  the  valley  near 
the  foot  of  the  mountains. 

The  first  company,  under  their  lieutenant,  De 
Maupas,  turned  their  special  attention  to  Mutzig,  which 
was  not,  they  learned,  actually  occupied  by  the  Ger- 
mans, but  which  was  frequently  visited  by  parties  from 
Molsheim  where  a  portion  of  the  army  of  the  besiegers 
was  stationed.  The  young  Barclays,  their  cousins,  and 
Tim  Doyle  were  quartered  together  in  one  of  the  largest 
houses  in  the  village,  and  from  thence  a  fine  view  over 
the  plain  was  attainable. 

They  were  not  destined  to  remain  long  in  inactivity. 
Upon  the  fourth  day  after  their  arrival  they  saw  a  party 
of  some  twenty  horsemen  approaching  Mutzig.  In  five 
minutes  every  man  had  assembled,  and  at  once  rapidly 
marched  down  the  hill,  taking  advantage  of  its  irregu- 
larities so  as  to  follow  a  track  in  which  they  would  be 
invisible  from  the  road.  Making  a  long  detour,  they 
gained  the  road  about  half  a  mile  beyond  Mutzig,  and 
posting  themselves  among  some  trees  by  its  side,  awaited 
the  return  of  the  Uhlans. 

It  was  upward  of  two  hours  before  they  returned. 
They  were  laughing  and  singing,  and  the  boys  felt  a 
sensation  of  repugnance  as  they  raised  their  rifles  to 
their  shoulders  and  awaited  the  order  to  fire  into  their 
ansuspecting  foes.  They  had  not  as  yet  become  hard- 
ened to  the  horrors  of  war.  As  the  word  was  given  the 
rifles  flashed  out,  and  six  of  the  horsemen  fell;  the  rest, 
putting  spurs  to  their  horses,  galloped  furiously  away. 
Molsheim  was  so  close,  and  the  enemy  might  come  back 
again  largely  reinforced  in  so  short  a  time,  that  the 
order  was  given  to  retreat  at  once. 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  121 

Reaching  the  hill  and  looking  back  an  hour  later,  they 
saw  a  dark  mass  coming  from  Molsheim,  and  the  glasses 
soon  made  them  out  to  be  about  a  hundred  cavalry  and 
as  many  infantry.  It  was  dark  as  they  entered  Mutzig, 
and  although  it  was  not  probable  that  they  would  ascend 
the  hill  at  night,  sentries  were  thrown  out  far  down  its 
sides  to  give  the  alarm,  and  the  men  were  ordered  to 
hold  themselves  inreadiness  for  an  immediate  retreat  to 
the  forest.  It  happened  that  none  of  the  boys  were  on 
duty,  and  just  as  they  were  sitting  down  to  dinner,  Tim, 
who  had  been  out  to  fetch  some  wood,  came  running  in. 

"Heavenly  Mother,  the  brutes  are  setting  fire  to 
Mutzig,  your  honor." 

The  boys  ran  out.  Below  a  mass  of  red  flame  was 
rising,  and  it  was  evident  that  several  houses  were  in 
flames.  The  sight  was  a  grand  one,  for  the  light  showed 
the  outline  of  the  slopes  of  the  hills,  and,  reflected  on 
the  roofs  of  the  houses  of  the  little  town,  made  them 
look  as  if  red-hot.  Out  upon  the  plain  round  Molsheim 
were  the  scattered  lights  of  innumerable  camp-fires, 
while  in  the  distance  flickering  flashes,  like  the  play  of 
summer  lightning,  told  of  the  ceaseless  rain  of  fire  kept 
up  upon  the  unhappy  town  of  Strasburg. 

"What  a  shame!"  Percy  said  indignantly,  "as  if  the 
inhabitants  of  Mutzig  could  help  our  attacking  the 
Uhlans.     Look,  Ealph,  there  are  six  distinct  fires." 

"I  suppose  that  is  one  for  each  man  we  killed  or 
wounded,  Percy.  You  may  be  sure  they  will  make  them 
pay,  too.  Thirty  thousand  francs,  I  should  think,  at 
least.  War  used  to  be  looked  upon  as  a  chivalrous  pro- 
ceeding. There  is  no  romance  in  German  warfare. 
They  call  us  a  nation  of  shopkeepers;  they  make  war 
themselves  in  the  spirit  of  a  nation  of  petty  hucksterers/' 

"What  do  you  think  of  that,  lads?"  Lieutenant  de 
Maupas  said,  coming  up  to  where  they  were  standing. 


122  THE  Y0UNG-FRANC-TIREUR8. 

"It  is  shameful,  sir,  shameful,"  Ralph  said. 

"Yes,"  the  officer  said  gloomily.  "This  is  to  make 
war  as  the  Vandals  made  it,  not  as  it  is  made  in  the 
nineteenth  century.  In  the  Crimea,  in  Italy,  ay,  even 
in  China,  we  did  not  make  war  in  this  way.  In  China 
we  burned  the  emperor's  summer  palace  because  his 
soldiers  had  murdered  our  prisoners  in  cold  blood,  but 
we  did  not  burn  a  single  village." 

"No,"  Ralph  said,  "and  I  have  read  that  in  Abyssinia 
we  never  as  much  as  took  a  fowl  or  a  bundle  of  grass 
from  the  natives  without  paying  for  it,  and  we  only 
burned  the  fortress  of  Magdala  after  offering  it  in  suc- 
cession to  the  various  kings  of  the  country,  and 
destroyed  it  at  last  to  prevent  it  becoming  a  stronghold 
of  the  Gallas,  the  enemies  of  Abyssinia.  Don't  you 
think,"  he  asked,  after  a  pause,  "we  shall  have  fighting 
to-morrow,  sir?" 

"I  think  it  very  likely  indeed/' the  lieutenant  said. 
"I  have  just  sent  off  a  messenger  to  the  commandant 
with  a  full  report,  and  asked  him  to  send  over  a  reply 
whether  he  will  come  to  our  assistance,  or  if  we  are  to 
fall  back." 

"Faith,  and  I  hope  that  it's  not  falling  back  we'll  be 
till  after  we've  had  the  satisfaction  of  spaking  to  them 
a  bit,"  Tim  Doyle  put  in.  "Barring  the  little  affair  of 
to-day,  which  isn't  worth  mentioning,  I  haven't  had  a 
chance  of  a  scrimmage  since  I  joined  the  corps.  It's  been 
jist  marching  and  counter-marching  over  the  most  on- 
raisonable  country,  nothing  but  uphill  and  downhill 
and  through  trees,  with  big  stones  breaking  our  poor 
feet  into  pieces,  and  the  rain  running  down  us  fit  to  give 
us  the  ague.  Sure,  Lieutenant,  ye  won't  be  for  march- 
ing us  away  till  we've  had  a  little  divarshin?" 

The  boys  all  laughed  at  Tim's  complaint,  which  had 
been  delivered  in  English,  for  although  he  could  now 


THE  YOUNG  FBANC-TIBEUES.  123 

nnderstand  French,  he  never  attempted  to  speak  it 
except  to  ask  some  necessary  question.  Percy  trans- 
lated it  to  the  lieutenant. 

"You  will  have  fighting  enough  before  you  have  done, 
Tim.  Whether  you  will  have  it  to-morrow  I  don't 
know.  There  are  a  hundred  infantry— they  can't  use 
their  cavalry — and  we  are  only  twenty-six  men,  all  told. 
Fortunately  we  have  a  strong  line  of  retreat,  or  I  should 
not  even  wait  for  the  chance  of  being  attacked." 

"At  any  rate  you  think  that  we  are  safe  until  morn- 
ing, sir?" 

"Yes,  I  think  so,"  the  lieutenant  said. 

"Then  we  will  go  in  to  our  dinner,"  Ealph  said. 
"Who  knows  where  we  may  dine  to-morrow?" 

Day  was  just  beginning  to  break  when  Percy  Barclay 
started  up  in  his  bed.  He  listened  for  an  instant  and 
heard  the  crack  of  a  rifle. 

"Up,  Ealph;  up  all  of  you,"  hi  shouted.  "We  are 
attacked." 

The  others  were  on  their  feet  in  an  instant.  None  of 
them  had  thought  of  undressing,  and  as  they  seized  their 
arms  and  equipments,  the  whistle  of  Lieutenant  de 
Maupas  sounded  loud  and  shrill.  As  they  issued  out 
there  was  already  a  scene  of  bustle  and  confusion  in  the 
village.  The  franc-tireurs  were  rushing  from  the  doors; 
the  villagers  were  also  pouring  out,  women  were  scream- 
ing and  men  swearing. 

"You  had  better  drive  off  your  animals  up  into  the 
forest,  and  carry  off  whatever  you  can  of  value,  and  send 
the  women  and  children  off  at  once,"  De  Maupas 
shouted  to  the  head  man  of  the  village.  "We  will  give 
you  as  much  time  as  we  can,  but  if  they  are  in  full 
strength  it  will  not  be  long.  Now,  lads,  forward.  Don't 
throw  away  a  shot.  Take  advantage  of  every  possible 
cover  and  fall  back  as  slowly  and  steadily  as  you   can. 


124  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

The  commandant  will  be  here  with  the  second  company 
in  half  an  hour.  I  had  a  message  from  him  late  lait 
night." 

The  men  advanced  at  once  at  the  double,  and  in  an 
instant  had  a  view  of  what  was  going  on.  The  six  men 
out  as  sentries  were  falling  back  rapidly  toward  the  vil- 
lage, and  two  dark  bodies  of  infantry  were  approaching 
abreast  of  each  other,  but  at  a  distance  of  two  or  three 
hundred  yards  apart.  They  were  some  five  hundred 
yards  beyond  the  retreating  sentries,  who  were  them- 
selves a  few  hundred  yards  below  the  village.  The 
enemy  had  at  present  made  no  reply  whatever  to  the  fire 
of  the  sentries. 

"Advance  slowly  in  skirmishing  order,"  De  Maupas 
said.  "One  flank  of  the  company  oppose  each  column, 
open  fire  at  once,  sight  for  seven  hundred  yards,  take 
advantage  of  cover,  and  fire  steadily." 

A  steady  fire  was  at  once  opened,  and  although  its 
effects  could  not  be  perceived,  they  were  evidently  sensi- 
ble, for  the  columns  immediately  threw  out  half  their 
strength  as  skirmishers  and  opened  fire.  In  a  hundred 
paces  De  Maupas  halted  his  men,  and  told  them  to  lie 
down  behind  shelter.  The  enemy  were  now  five  hun- 
dred yards  off,  and  the  franc-tireurs  had  been  joined  by 
the  sentries.  The  numbers  were  four  to  one,  and 
although  the  position  was  of  considerable  advantage  to 
the  smaller  force,  as  well  as  the  fact  that  they  were  lying 
quiet  in  shelter,  while  their  adversaries  had  to  fire  as  they 
advanced,  the  odds  were  far  too  great  to  hope  for  suc- 
cess. Every  moment,  however,  it  was  getting  lighter, 
and  the  franc-tireurs  could  see  that  their  fire  was  doing 
considerable  execution,  whereas  only  two  of  their  men 
had  received  slight  wounds.  The  enemy,  however, 
pushed  on  steadily,  and  were  now  little  more  than  three 
hundred  yards  distant. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREVRS.  125 

"Fall  back,"  the  lieutenant  shouted;  "six  men  alter- 
nately of  each  half  company.  Back  fifty  paces  at  the 
doubled 

At  the  word  twelve  men  retreated  at  full  speed  for 
fifty  yards,  the  others  redoubling  the  fire  from  their 
breechloaders  to  cover  the  retreat.  The  instant  that 
the  first  men  had  gone  fifty  yards  they  turned,  threw 
themselves  upon  the  ground,  and  opened  fire,  while 
those  in  front  ran  back  at  full  speed,  passed  them,  and 
halted  in  turn  fifty  paces  in  the  rear.  The  maneuver 
was  repeated  three  times,  and  they  then  gained  the  end 
house  of  the  village. 

Under  shelter  of  a  low  wall  another  stand  was  made, 
but  the  superior  force  of  the  enemy  enabled  them  to 
threaten  to  outflank  them.  Many  of  the  Germans  had 
fallen,  but  the  rest  advanced  with  as  much  coolness  and 
precision  as  if  on  parade.  "How  beautifully  these  fel- 
lows do  fight!"  Ralph  exclaimed  in  admiration. 

"Now,  lads,  we  must  retreat/'  the  lieutenant  said. 
"We  have  done  very  well.  Now  across  the  village,  and 
then  make  for  the  forest  as  hard  as  you  can;  it's  not  over 
five  hundred  yards.  When  you  are  once  there  make  a 
stand  again." 

The  men  turned,  and  in  another  moment  would  have 
carried  out  the  order,  when  from  a  house  in  a  line  with 
them,  but  about  fifty  yards  off,  a  heavy  fire  of  musketry 
suddenly  broke  out. 

"Hurrah,  lads,  there's  the  commandant.  Stand  to 
your  wall,  we'll  thrash  them  yet." 

Staggered  by  this  sudden  and  heavy  fire,  the  Germans 
paused,  and  then  fell  back  to  a  spot  where  a  dip  in  the 
ground  sheltered  them  from  the  fire  from  above.  For  a 
short  time  there  was  a  cessation  of  the  fight.  At  this 
moment  the  commandant  joined  the  first  company. 

"Well  done  indeed!"  he  exclaimed;  "gallantly  don©, 


126  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS 

lads!  We  heard  the  firing,  and  feared  you  would  be 
crushed  before  we  could  get  up.  It  is  fortunate  I  started 
half  an  hour  before  daybreak.  We  have  done  the  last 
two  miles  at  a  run.     Have  you  suffered  much?" 

There  was  a  general  look  round.  Four  men  had  fallen 
in  the  retreat;  another  lay  dead,  shot  through  the  head 
as  he  fired  over  the  wall;  four  others  were  wounded, 
three  seriously;  while  Ealph  Barclay  had  a  ball  through 
the  fleshy  part  of  his  arm. 

"Fortunately,"  Major  Tempe  said,  "half  a  dozen  men 
from  the  other  village  volunteered  to  come  over  to  help 
the  wounded.  I  will  send  them  over  here  at  once.  They 
can  take  some  doors  off  their  hinges,  and  carry  these 
three  men  right  back  into  the  forest  at  once.  We  have 
not  done  yet.  Get  your  men  into  skirmishing  line,  De 
Maupas.  I  will  form  mine  to  join  you.  Occupy  the  line 
of  gardens  and  walls." 

Scarcely  was  the  movement  effected  when  the  Germans 
again  appeared  on  the  hillside.  They  had  still  a  very 
great  superiority  in  numbers,  for  the  two  companies  of 
franc-tireurs  only  numbered  now  forty-five  men,  while 
the  Germans,  who  had  lost  upward  of  twenty  men,  were 
still  nearly  eighty  strong.  Ralph  Barclay  still  kept  his 
place  in  the  ranks.  Tim  Doyle  had  bandaged  up  his 
arm,  for  Percy,  who  had  at  first  attempted  it,  had  nearly 
fainted  at  the  sight  of  the  blood.  The  Irishman  was  in 
the  highest  glee,  and  occasionally  indulged  in  whoops  of 
defiance,  and  in  taunting  remarks,  which  would  not  have 
flattered  the  enemy,  could  they  have  heard  and  under- 
stood them. 

The  Germans,  as  they  emerged  from  their  shelter, 
were  about  four  hundred  yards  distant,  and  the  fire  at 
once  recommenced.  The  franc-tireurs  were  all  lying 
down,  and  this  gave  them  a  great  advantage  over  the 
Germans;  and  the  disparity  of  numbers  being  less  the 


THE  YOUNG  FBANC-TIREUR8.  127 

fight  raged  with  greater  obstinacy  than  before.  Very 
gradually  the  enemy  won  their  way,  taking  advantage  of 
every  rock  and  inequality  of  ground,  until  they  were 
within  two  hundred  yards  of  the  village.  Nearer  than 
this  they  could  not  come,  for  the  ground  was  open,  and 
in  the  face  of  the  force  in  shelter,  armed  with  breech- 
loaders, it  would  have  been  madness  to  have  attempted  a 
rush.  For  some  time  the  combatants  remained  in  the 
same  position,  merely  exchanging  an  occasional  shot 
when  a  head  or  a  hat  was  exposed.  At  last  Major  Tempe 
became  uneasy  at  the  prolonged  inaction  upon  the  part 
of  the  enemy. 

"De  Maupas,"  he  said,  "run  up  to  the  upper  story  of 
that  house,  and  try  and  see  what  they  are  doing.  Look 
all  round.  I  don't  like  this  long  hesitation.  They  are 
greatly  superior  in  force,  and  know  it.  I  think  that 
they  must  be  going  to  try  some  flanking  movement." 

The  lieutenant  obeyed,  and  going  up  to  the  upper 
story  of  the  house  pointed  out  by  his  commander,  peered 
cautiously  out.  As  far  as  he  could  see  nothing  was 
stirring;  the  Germans  appeared  to  be  lying  in  the  little 
hollow  in  which  they  were  sheltered.  He  was  about  to 
descend  when  he  remembered  his  orders  to  look  around 
in  all  directions.  He  therefore  went  to  a  window  at  the 
end  of  the  house  and  looked  carefully  out.  As  he  did  so 
he  gave  a  start,  and  his  heart  seemed  for  a  moment  to 
stand  still.  Then  with  a  bound  he  reached  the  door, 
sprang  downstairs,  and  rushed  out  to  where  Major 
Tempe  was  standing  behind  a  wall. 

"The  cavalry  are  upon  us,"  he  said.  "They  are  not 
five  hundred  yards  off.  They  have  made  a  great  detour 
and  are " 

Major  Tempe  stopped  to  hear  no  more. 

"Fall  back,  men,"  he  shouted.  "Keep  well  together. 
The  cavalry  are  upon  us.  Now  at  a  double  to  the  forest 
for  your  lives.     Steady,  steady." 


128  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

The  men  sprang  from  the  position  behind  which  they 
had  been  firing,  fell  in  hurriedly  in  the  street,  and  then 
went  off  at  a  fast  double  toward  the  forest.  There  were 
a  few  trees  near,  but  no  shelter  sufficient  to  be  of  any  use 
nearer  than  five  hundred  yards.  Fortunately  they  were 
unimpeded  by  wounded,  every  man  having  been  carried 
back  into  the  forest  immediately  he  was  struck.  Still  it 
was  evident  that  they  could  not  gain  the  forest  in  time. 
They  had  seen  the  leading  horsemen  turn  into  the  end  of 
the  village  not  more  than  three  hundreds  yards  distant 
as  they  started,  and  the  carbine-balls  were  already  whiz- 
zing over  their  heads. 

With  the  rapidity  and  steadiness  which  mark  the  move- 
ments of  the  Prussian  cavalry,  they  formed  in  line  as 
they  issued  from  the  village,  and  before  the  fugitives 
were  halfway  to  the  forest  a  line  of  horsemen  fifty 
abreast  were  in  full  gallop  behind.  Then  followed 
another  of  equal  strength  fifty  yards  behind.  The  franc- 
tireurs,  with  their  rifles  and  accouterments,  were  already 
slackening  their  speed. 

"We  must  form  square,  major;  they  are  not  a  hundred 
and  fifty  yards  behind,"  De  Maupas  exclaimed.  "We 
can  beat  them  off  easily  enough." 

Major  Tempe  shook  his  head,  and  shouted  cheerily, 
"Keep  on  to  the  last  moment,  men,  well  together;  I  will 
tell  you  when  the  moment  is  come;  hold  your  rifles  in 
readiness." 

In  ten  more  seconds,  he  gave  the  word.  The  men  were 
in  readiness,  and  the  square  was  formed  as  if  by  magic. 
The  Uhlans  were  not  more  than  eighty  yards  off. 

"File  firing,"  the  major  shouted.  "Steady!  don't 
throw  away  a  shot." 

Now  was  the  time  for  breech-loading  weapons,  and  so 
deadly  was  the  fire  that  the  center  of  the  Prussian  line 
melted  away  before  it,  and  the  men  who  remained  reined 


THE  TOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  129 

aside  their  horses  as  they  reached  the  hedge  of  bayonets. 
The  flanks  kept  on  and  united  again  behind  the  square, 
drawing  up  near  the  edge  of  the  wood,  a  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  distant 

The  charge  of  the  second  line  was  attended  with  pre- 
cisely similar  results.  The  instant  that  they  had  passed, 
however,  Major  Tempe  shouted  to  his  men: 

"On  again  for  the  woods.  Steady;  keep  square;  re- 
serve your  fire  till  I  tell  you;  we  must  break  through  the 
cavalry;  they  only  want  to  keep  us;  their  infantry  will 
be  here  in  three  minutes;  they  are  through  the  village 
already." 

The  position  of  the  franc-tireurs  was  now  critical  in 
the  extreme.  The  enemy's  cavalry,  between  them  and 
safety,  only  a  hundred  yards  distant,  had  unslung  their 
carbines  and  opened  fire.  The  infantry  were  nearly  two 
hundred  yards  behind,  but  fortunately  dared  not  fire  for 
fear  of  hitting  their  own  cavalry. 

At  a  rapid  pace,  for  they  were  running  for  life,  the 
little  knot  of  franc-tireurs  dashed  forward.  One  or  two 
fell  from  the  fire  of  the  cavalry,  and  as  they  were  fifty 
yards  distant  from  the  wood  there  was  a  cry  and  Philippe 
Duburg  fell  to  the  ground.  In  an  instant  Tim  Doyle, 
who  was  his  next  man,  stopped,  caught  him  up  as  if  he 
had  been  a  feather,  and  with  a  desperate  effort  again 
joined  the  others  just  as  they  were  within  twenty  yards 
of  the  cavalry0 

"Fire!"  Major  Tempe  cried;  and  from  the  front  and 
from  each  side  of  the  little  square,  which  was  but  six 
deep  either  way,  the  rifles  flashed  out. 

"Level  bayonets;  charge!"  There  was  a  short  strug- 
gle, the  second  ranks  poured  their  fire  into  the  cavalry 
line;  there  was  a  clashing  of  bayonets  against  swords, 
and  then  the  band  ran  through  the  broken  line  of  cav- 
alry.    There  was  a  rush  into  the  brushwood,  and  then 


130  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

from  behind  the  shelter  of  the  trees  the  fire  opened 
again,  and  the  cavalry  fell  sullenly  back,  having  lost 
upward  of  thirty  men  in  that  short  five  minutes  since 
they  had  left  the  village.  The  German  infantry  halted 
at  a  distance  of  two  hundred  yards,  but  they  would  have 
lost  too  many  men  in  crossing  the  open  to  make  it  worth 
while  to  attack  the  sheltered  foe,  who  could  pick  them 
off  to  the  last  moment  only  to  withdraw  deeper  into  the 
forest  when  they  approached  its  edge.  Accordingly  they 
too  fell  back,  exchanging  fire  with  the  franc-tireurs  until 
they  gained  the  shelter  of  the  village. 

The  conflict  over,  the  men  sank  exhausted  upon  the 
ground  where  they  stood. 

Major  Tempe  went  round  to  each,  saying  a  word  of 
praise,  and  giving  a  little  of  the  brandy  with  which  he 
had  filled  his  canteen  before  starting,  with  some  water 
from  their  own  kegs.  Then  he  gave  a  sharp  whistle,  and 
the  men  again  gathered  round  him.  "Once  more,  lads, 
I  must  thank  you  for  your  conduct,"  he  said.  "You 
have  defended  yourselves  against  forces  altogether  four 
times  your  own.  You  fairly  kept  at  bay  an  infantry 
force  of  twice  your  own  number.  You  have  withstood  a 
charge  of  cavalry  also  double  your  own  strength,  and 
have  performed  the  unusual  feat  of  successfully  charging 
cavalry.  You  have  inflicted  a  very  heavy  loss  upon  the 
enemy.  Not  less  than  forty  of  the  infantry  must  have 
been  placed  hors  de  combat,  and  fifteen  or  twenty  of  the 
cavalry  at  the  lowest  estimate.  Altogether,  although 
forced  to  fall  back,  the  affair  is  more  creditable  than 
many  a  brilliant  victory.  Our  own  loss  has  been  heavy 
— as  heavy,  in  proportion  to  our  numbers,  as  that  of  the 
enemy — though,  owing  to  an  advantage  of  position  while 
engaged  with  the  infantry,  it  is  actually  far  less  than 
theirs.  Still,  lads,  it  is  very,  very  heavy,"  and  the 
major  looked  round  with  a  saddened  face  on  the  dimin- 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  131 

ished  band.  "Our  only  consolation  is  that  our  friends 
have  died  doing  their  duty,  and  setting  a  noble  example. 
If  all  Frenchmen  were  but  animated  with  a  spirit  like 
that  which  I  am  proud  to  say  animates  the  franc-tireurs 
of  Dijon,  there  are  few  of  the  invaders  who  would  ever 
recross  the  Rhine.  Lieutenant  Ribouville,  go  through 
the  muster-roll  of  the  two  companies;  our  brave  friend, 
De  Maupas,  has,  alas!  fallen.  He  was  at  my  side  when 
a  rifle  ball  struck  him  in  the  temple." 

The  list  was  now  called  over,  and  the  result  was  a  sad 
one.  The  two  companies,  including  officers,  had  gone 
into  the  fight  fifty-five  strong.  Only  thirty-one  answered 
to  their  names.  Besides  these,  eight  had  been  removed 
further  into  the  forest  severely  wounded,  and  Philippe 
Duburg  lay  a  short  distance  off,  the  surgeon  being  em- 
ployed bandaging  his  leg,  which  a  rifle  ball  had  entered 
above  the  knee.  Fifteen,  therefore,  were  dead  or  miss- 
ing, which,  as  the  Germans  bayoneted  all  wounded 
franc-tireurs,  was  the  same  thing.  Of  the  thirty-one  who 
answered  to  their  names,  nine  had  wounds  more  or  less 
severe,  and  the  surgeon,  with  his  assistants,  had  work  on 
his  hands  which  would  take  him  far  into  the  night. 

The  instant  that  they  were  dismissed  from  parade,  the 
boys  hurried  to  their  cousin.  He  was  very  pale  from 
loss  of  blood,  but  was  perfectly  sensible.  His  brother  sat 
on  a  bench  beside  him,  holding  his  head  on  his  knee. 

Philippe  smiled  faintly  as  the  boys  came  up.  "I  am 
so  glad  you  have  escaped,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice. 

They  clasped  his  hand.  "Does  it  hurt  you  much, 
Philippe?" 

"Not  very  much;  not  so  much  as  I  should  have 
thought." 

"Did  the  doctor  say  anything  about  it,  Philippe?" 

"Yes,  he  said  that  it  had  just  missed  the  great  arter- 
ies, and   that   he   thinks   it   struck   the   bone  and   has 


132  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

glanced  up  somewhere,  but  he  can't  say  till  he  probes  it, 
when " 

"Then  your  leg  is  not  broken  ?" 

"No,  he  says  it  is  certainly  not  broken,  but  it  may  be 
splintered." 

"Thank  God  for  that,  anyhow,"  the  boys  said. 

"We  owe  his  life  to  Tim  Doyle,"  Louis  said.  "I  was 
not  next  to  him,  and  did  not  see  him  fall  or  know  he  was 
hit  till  I  saw  Tim  come  up  with  him  on  his  shoulders, 
and  even  if  I  had,  I  could  not  have  lifted  him  and  carried 
him  off.  Tim  saved  his  life;  there  is  no  doubt  about 
that." 

As  it  was  evident  that  Philippe  was  too  weak  to  talk, 
and  would  be  better  for  being  quiet  awhile,  the  boys  now 
left  him  with  his  brother. 

Looking  through  the  trees  toward  the  village,  a  dense 
smoke  could  now  be  seen  rising  in  several  places,  and  in 
a  few  minutes  the  whole  village  was  in  a  blaze.  Moved 
by  the  sight,  the  unfortunate  inhabitants  came  out  from 
their  hiding-places  in  the  forest,  wringing  their  hands, 
crying,  and  cursing  the  invaders. 

In  spite  of  the  advice  of  Major  Tempe,  several  of  the 
women  went  off  toward  the  scene  of  conflagration  to 
endeavor  to  save  some  little  household  treasure  from  the 
flames.  In  a  short  time  one  of  them  returned  to  fetch 
her  husband,  saying  that  the  enemy  had  all  left  before 
they  reached  the  village,  and  were  already  far  down  the 
hillside.  Major  Tempe  at  once  sent  forward  the  un- 
wounded  men  to  assist  the  villagers  to  put  out  the  fire, 
and  to  save  property.  Their  efforts  were,  however, 
altogether  unavailing:  the  Germans  had  scattered  large 
quantities  of  petroleum  before  leaving  upon  the  beds  and 
such  other  furniture  as  they  could  not  carry  away  or 
destroy. 

It  was  a  pitiable  sight  to  see  the  poor  homeless  people 


THE  YOUJSIG  FRANG-TIREUM8.  133 

sitting  about  looking  at  the  ruins  of  their  houses.  Some 
cried  piteously,  others  gazed  with  listless  faces,  but  with 
a  cold  despair  even  more  painful  to  see.  Fortunately, 
they  had  saved  all  their  animals,  but  at  present  they  were 
too  much  absorbed  in  the  thoughts  of  what  they  had  lost 
to  bestow  even  a  thought  of  satisfaction  on  what  they 
had  saved. 

Major  Tempe,  grieved  and  touched  at  the  painful 
scene  of  which  he  and  his  men  had  been  the  cause,  called 
the  franc-tireurs  together,  and  made  a  proposition  to 
them,  which  was  at  once  heartily  agreed  to.  He  then 
called  together  the  cure  and  schoolmaster,  and  after  a 
few  w  il-chosen  words  of  regret  at  the  ills  which  he  and 
his  had  involuntarily  brought  upon  the  village,  he 
handed  oT  er  to  them,  in  the  name  of  the  whole  corps, 
the  hundred  pounds  in  thaler  notes  which  had  been 
found  upon  the  schoolmaster  whom  they  had  executed 
for  treachery,  to  be  distributed  among  the  inhabitants 
according  to  their,  necessities.  The  offer  was  gratefully 
received,  and  the  priest  and  schoolmaster  at  once  went 
round  and  told  the  poor  people,  whose  gratitude  and 
delight  were  unbounded. 

To  so  poor  a  population  the  sum  seemed  immense; 
and  although  it  would  not  replace  what  was  destroyed,  it 
would  go  far  toward  making  their  abodes  habitable. 
The  village  only  contained  about  twenty  houses.  The 
walls  were  still  standing.  Timber  for  the  roofs  and  floors 
was  to  be  had  for  cutting  in  the  forest.  Bushes  for 
thatching  could  be  found  in  abundance.  The  principal 
portion  of  the  houses,  therefore,  would  cost  only  labor; 
and  this  money  would  suffice  to  keep  them  alive  while 
engaged  upon  it;  and  enough  would  remain  to  get  at 
least  a  few  blankets  to  lay  upon  the  straw,  which  would 
for  the  time  serve  for  beds,  together  with  a  few  other 
simple  necessaries.     The'sale  of  a  portion  of  the  animals 


134  THE  TO  UNO  FRANC-TIREUB8. 

would  do  the  rest;  and  in  their  gratitude  to  the  franc* 
tireurs  for  having  thus  relieved  their  first  and  most 
pressing  difficulties,  the  inhabitants  altogether  forgot 
the  ill-feeling  which  they  had  before  felt  against  them  as 
the  authors  of  their  disaster. 

After  burying  their  dead,  the  men  set  to  work  to 
assist  the  villagers  in  building  temporary  huts,  or  rather 
bowers,  to  the  edge  of  the. forest,  in  which,  before  night- 
fall, they  had  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  them  installed. 
The  few  articles  of  bedding,  blankets,  etc.,  saved  at  the 
approach  of  the  Prussians,  were  spread  on  heaps  of 
freshly-cut  grass;  and  one  of  the  oxen  of  the  franc- 
tireurs,  which  had  arrived  the  day  before,  was  killed  and 
divided.  Great  fires  were  lighted;  and,  had  it  not  been 
for  the  bandages  on  the  heads,  and  the  arms  in  slings, 
of  several  of  the  franc-tireurs,  no  one  coming  upon  the 
scene  would  have  guessed  how  desperate  a  skirmish  had 
raged  here. 

The  next  day  the  carts  which  had  been  sent  for  arrived, 
and  the  wounded  were  placed  in  them  upon  heaps  of 
straw,  and  sent  off  with  one  of  the  surgeons,  with  instruc- 
tions to  travel  among  the  hills,  until  they  reached  a  point 
where  it  would  be  quite  safe  to  descend  into  the  valley, 
and  take  the  train  to  Dijon  at  the  first  station  at  which 
it  was  open.  Among  them  was  Philippe  Duburg,  who 
was  accompanied  by  his  brother.  Louis  had  obtained  a 
week's  leave  of  absence  for  the  purpose,  and  was  the 
bearer  of  letters  and  innumerable  messages  from  the 
boys  to  their  parents  and  sisters.  A  few  hours  later  the 
remnants  of  the  first  and  second  companies  marched  to 
join  their  comrades. 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIMEUm  135 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  BRIDGE  OF  THE  VESOUZB. 

The  very  day  after  the  fight  news  arrived  which 
induced  a  sudden  change  of  position.  Upon  the  16th  of 
September  the  Baden  troops  occupied  Mulhouse,  having 
entered  Oolmar  on  the  preceding  day.  It  was  evident 
that  the  railway  was  so  strongly  guarded  between  Stras- 
burg  and  Nancy  that  it  was  hopeless  to  expect  to  be  able 
to  interrupt  it  seriously  with  so  small  a  force  as  that  at 
Major  Tempe's  command;  still  less  possible  was  it  to 
render  any  assistance  whatever  to  the  doomed  city  of 
Strasburg.  After  taking  council,  therefore,  with  his 
officers,  Major  Tempe  decided  to  march  more  to  the 
south,  so  as  to  assist  to  oppose  the  passage  of  the  enemy 
west  from  Colmar  or  Mulhouse  through  the  passes  of 
the  Vosges.  The  alarm  was,  however,  but  temporary, 
for,  having  made  requisitions  as  usual,  the  Prussians 
retired,  and  the  corps  returned  to  their  old  quarters. 
There  another  ten  days  passed:  spent  not  in  ease,  but  in 
constant  marchings  and  counter-marchings.  Whenever 
news  arrived  that  any  parties  of  Uhlans  were  approach- 
ing the  mountains  with  the  object  of  making  requisi- 
tions, the  corps  were  instantly  set  in  motion.  Sometimes 
severe  skirmishes  were  the  result,  sometimes  the  news 
turned  out  to^be  untrue,  and  after  a  long  day's  march  and 
a  night  spent  in  watching,  the  men  had  nothing  to  do 
but  to  march  back  again.  Upon  the  28th  came  the  news 
of  the  surrender  of  Strasburg  upon  the  preceding  day, 
after  one  of  the  most  heroic  defenses  in  history.     There 


136  TEE  YOUNG  FRANO-TIRETTRS. 

was  now  no  doubt  that  the  Germans  would  ere  long 
advance  seriously. 

By  this  time  the  total  of  the  French  forces  among  the 
Vosges  Mountains  was  considerable.  Scarce  a  day  passed 
without  the  arrival  of  a  corps  of  franc-tireurs,  and  had 
all  these  corp3  been  animated  with  a  spirit  such  as  that 
evinced  by  the  franc-tireurs  of  Dijon,  and  had  they  acted 
in  unity,  with  discipline  and  intelligence,  they  might 
have  rendered  immense  services  to  France.  Unfortu- 
nately this  was  very  far  from  being  the  case.  Very  many 
of  the  men  had  entered  the  ranks  only  to  avoid  being 
called  upon  to  go  out  with  the  Mobiles  or  mobilized  Na- 
tional Guard;  others  had  only  entered  from  the  impulse 
of  the  moment.  Very  many  were  altogether  unwilling 
to  submit  to  any  steady  discipline,  while  in  a  great  num- 
ber of  cases  the  corps  were  completely  paralyzed  from 
the  utter  incapacity  of  their  officers.  Owing  to  these 
various  causes  the  corps  of  franc-tireurs  distinguished 
themselves  in  a  great  number  of  cases  only  by  the 
extreme  ingenuity  and  foresight  which  they  displayed  in 
keeping  at  a  prudent  distance  from  the  enemy.  Some, 
too,  earned  a  bad  name  not  only  for,  themselves  but  for 
the  whole  body  of  franc-tireurs  by  their  conduct  toward 
the  villagers,  helping  themselves  freely  to  what  they 
required,  and  making  themselves  almost  as  much  dreaded 
by  the  peasantry  as  even  the  Germans  themselves. 

At  the  same  time  the  villagers  had  in  very  many  cases 
only  themselves  to  blame  for  the  rough  measures  adopted 
by  the  franc-tireurs,  for  often,  instead  of  doing  all  in 
their  power  for  the  men  who  had  taken  up  arms  in  the 
cause  of  France,  the  villagers  looked  upon  them  only  as 
strangers  out  of  whom  the  richest  possible  harvest  was  to 
be  obtained,  and  charged  the  most  exorbitant  prices  for 
all  articles  of  necessity  supplied  to  them.  In  fact,  they 
sometimes  did  not  hesitate  to  say  that  they  would  not 


THE  TOUNO  FRANG-TIBEURS.  137 

provide  them  at  any  price  with  the  provisions  required, 
as  these  would  be  wanted  to  satisfy  the  requisition  of  the 
Germans  upon  their  arrival. 

Perhaps  in  the  whole  world  there  is  no  class  of  people 
so  completely  engrossed  by  the  thought  of  gain  as  are 
the  French  bomgeois  and  rustic  population.  Every 
change  of  government,  every  political  alteration,  every 
law  passed,  is  regarded  by  them  simply  and  solely  from 
the  view  of  how  it  will  affect  their  own  pockets.  Thus, 
instead  of  driving  away  their  flocks  and  herds  at  the 
approach  of  the  invaders,  the  people  remained  quietly  in 
their  houses,  and  shamelessly  trafficked  with  the  invaders. 
This  apathy,  faint-heartedness,  and  want  of  patriotism 
upon  the  part  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  small  towns  and 
villages  caused  innumerable  difficulties  to  the  franc- 
tireurs,  and  Major  Tempe  was  sometimes  obliged  to  take 
the  law  into  his  own  hands  when  the  villagers  absolutely 
refused  to  sell  provisions  or  to  give  quarters  to  his  men. 
In  these  cases  he  summoned  the  priest,  the  schoolmaster, 
and  two  other  head  men  of  the  place,  and  formed  a  com- 
mittee with  them  and  his  own  officers.  These  fixed  a 
fair  price  upon  the  articles  required,  and  Major  Ternpe 
then  sent  round  a  notice  to  the  effect  that  if  these  articles 
were  furnished  in  two  hours  they  would  be  paid  for  at 
the  agreed  rates,  but  that  if  not  furnished,  he  should 
quarter  his  men  upon  the  inhabitants  in  accordance  with 
the  size  of  their  houses  and  should  remain  there  at  least 
a  week — a  threat  that  never  failed  in  producing  the 
required  effect.  It  was  but  seldom,  however,  that  the 
major  encountered  any  difficulties  of  this  sort.  The 
corps  was  for  the  most  part  composed  of  men  with  some 
money.  They  had  now,  too,  sold  the  sheep  and  cattle 
which  they  had  captured  at  Blamont,  finding  the  incon- 
venience of  sending  for  them  whenever  meat  was  re- 
quired.   The  proceedsof  these  and  of  the  horses  captured 


138  THE  TOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

at  the  same  time  had  given  them  a  fair  sum  in  their  regi- 
mental chest,  and  they  were  therefore  able  and  willing  to 
pay  a  fair  sum  for  such  articles  as  they  required.  Besides 
this,  the  report  of  the  actions  of  Blamont  and  Still  had 
now  widely  circulated,  and,  as  a  general  thing,  tho  peo- 
ple were  glad  to  do  all  in  their  power  for  a  corps  com- 
posed of  men  who  really  meant  work,  and  had  given 
good  proofs  of  their  courage  and  energy. 

By  this  time  the  boys  had  received  several  letters  from 
home,  and  it  may  be  readily  imagined  the  pleasure  these 
letters  afforded  them.  Major  Tempers  official  report  of 
the  doings  of  his  corps  had  been  published  in  the  Dijon 
papers,  and  from  these  had  been  copied  far  and  wide 
through  France,  and  the  people  of  Dijon  were  not  a 
little  proud  of  their  corps.  The  names  of  the  two  Bar- 
clays had  appeared  in  the  report  as  specially  distinguish- 
ing themselves,  and  their  father  had  written  saying  how 
pleased  and  gratified  he  was  at  their  conduct.  Mrs.  Bar- 
clay and  Milly  had  also  written,  but  their  expressions  of 
pleasure  were  mingled  with  many  hopes  that  the  boys 
would  not  expose  themselves  unnecessarily. 

The  band  had  dwindled  much  in  the  month  since  they 
left  Dijon.  Upward  of  thirty  had  been  killed  or  dis- 
abled in  the  fights  of  Blamont  and  Still.  Half  as  many 
more  had  been  killed  or  wounded  in  smaller  skirmishes, 
and  ten  or  twelve  had  gone  home  or  into  hospital  com- 
pletely knocked  up  with  the  hard  work  and  exposure. 
Only  about  sixty  men  therefore  remained. 

Schlestadt  and  Neu  Brisach  were  now  invested  by  the 
Germans,  and  after  waiting  for  a  few  days  to  ascertain 
the  course  that  they  were  likely  to  take,  Major  Temp6 
determined  (as  General  Cambriel  was  forming  an  army 
down  by  Besancon)  to  defend  the  upper  passes  of  the 
Vosges,  and  as  it  was  rumored  that  a  second  German 
army  was  likely  to  advance  south  from  Nancy,  that  he 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  139 

would  recross  the  Vosges  and  aid  in  the  defense  against 
this  second  army  of  invaders. 

Three  days'  fatiguing  marches  brought  them  to  Epinalj 
where  the  boys,  in  accordance  with  their  promise,  went 
straight  to  the  house  of  the  gentleman  who  had  so 
hospitably  served  them  at  their  last  visit.  Their  friends 
were  delighted  to  see  them,  and  expressed  great  regret 
that  one  of  the  party  was  missing.  The  boys  were,  how- 
ever, able  to  say  that  their  last  letter  from  Dijon  had 
given  good  accounts  of  Philippe  Duburg,  who  was  now 
considered  out  of  danger;  there  was,  however,  no  hope 
of  his  being  able  to  rejoin  them,  as  the  surgeons  con- 
sidered it  probable  that  his  leg  would  be  a  very  long 
time  before  it  would  be  sufficiently  healed  to  allow  him 
to  use  it.  Their  host  had  read  the  account  in  the  papers 
of  the  doings  of  the  franc-tireurs,  and  his  wife  laugh- 
ingly made  a  further  apology  to  the  Barclays  and  their 
cousin  for  her  remark  at  their  first  visit  about  boys. 

"My  girls  have  talked  about  nothing  else  but  your 
doings  ever  since  we  had  the  news  of  your  attack  upon 
the  Uhlans  near  Blamont,"  she  said.  "One  would 
think,  from  the  interest  they  take  in  the  corps,  that  the 
whole  future  of  France  depended  upon  the  franc-tireurs 
of  Dijon." 

The  young  Barclays  laughed,  and  Percy  muttered 
something  under  his  breath,  while  Louis  Duburg  replied 
seriously  that  he  hoped  that  the  franc-tireurs  of  Dijon 
would  always  do  their  best  to  deserve  the  kind  thoughts 
of  mademoiselles,  at  which  piece  of  politeness  Percy 
muttered  "bosh." 

Epinal  had  as  yet  escaped,  but  it  was  feared  that  ere 
long  the  enemy  would  advance.  The  town  looked 
deserted,  for  all  the  young  men  had  left  with  the  Mobiles 
or  mobilized  National  Guards,  and  all  men  under  forty 
were  drilling  in  readiness  to  march  at  a  moment's  notice. 


140  TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

"No  serious  movement  of  the  enemy  south  of  Luneville 
was  as  yet  signalized. 

After  two  days'  rest  the  corps  again  marched  north, 
their  destination  being  kept  a  profound  secret  even  from 
the  men.  So  anxious  apparently  was  Major  Tempe"  that 
this  time  their  object  should  not  be  foiled  by  treachery, 
that  after  the  first  day's  march  he  left  the  main  road, 
and  having  secured  the  services  of  a  peasant  as  a  guide, 
he  made  two  long  days'  marches  through  forests  and 
over  mountains,  avoiding  even  small  villages.  Four  led 
horses  accompanied  the  march,  one  laden  with  the  gun 
cotton,  and  the  other  three  carrying  provisions  so  that 
they  might  be  independent  of  the  local  supply.  Each 
night  they  bivouacked  in  the  forests,  but  as  the  weather 
was  now  fine,  although  the  nights  were  cold,  this  was  no 
hardship  whatever.  Upon  the  morning  of  the  fourth 
day  from  their  leaving  Epinal,  Major  Tempe  told  his 
men  that  he  had  learned  at  Epinal  that  the  line  was  no 
longer  so  closely  guarded  as  before,  the  Germans  being 
confident  now  of  the  impotence  of  the  French  to  harm 
them,  and  that  they  were  now  in  the  forest  of  Moudan, 
within  three  miles  of  the  railway  between  Luneville  and 
Eechicourt,  on  the  line  to  Strasburg.  His  intention 
was  to  reconnoiter  that  day,  and,  if  success  should  be 
found  possible,  to  attempt  at  daybreak  next  morning  to 
blow  up  the  railway  bridge  over  the  Vesouze. 

The  news  was  received  with  great  satisfaction,  as  the 
corps  were  burning  to  distinguish  themselves,  and  in  no 
way  could  they  do  such  service  as  to  cut  the  line  of  com- 
munication, although,  as  the  Germans  were  no  longer 
dependent  upon  a  single  line,  the  advantage  would  not 
be  of  so  signal  a  nature  as  it  would  have  been  could  they 
have  cut  it  at  the  time  when  they  first  made  the  attempt. 
The  Barclays  were  naturally  selected  to  reconnoiter,  and 
as  their  change  of  clothes  had   been   always,  by  Major 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  HI 

Tempe's  orders,  carried  on  the  baggage  horse,  they  had 
do  difficulty  upon  that  score. 

Their  expedition  was  uneventful.  At  the  village 
nearest  to  the  bridge  they  went  and  bought  some  cheese 
and  other  articles,  and  after  gaining  all  the  information 
they  were  able  without  exciting  attention,  they  made 
their  way  through  broken  ground  to  a  point  near  enough 
to  the  bridge  to  enable  them  to  reconnoiter  it  undiscov- 
ered. A  sentry  was  posted  at  each  end.  At  a  cottage 
hard  by  were  ten  others,  while  there  were  twenty  in  the 
village  they  had  just;  left.  There  were  also  sentries 
down  the  line,  but  these  were  far  enough  apart  to  render 
it  certain  that  they  could  not  muster  in  time  to  interfere 
seriously  with  the  enterprise.  With  this  information 
they  returned  to  the  forest. 

A  council  of  war  was  held,  and  it  was  decided  that 
the  news  was  satisfactory,  and  that  the  attack  should 
take  place  at  daybreak.  Each  man  was  instructed  in 
the  work  he  would  have  to  perform.  Lieutenant 
Houdin,  with  thirty  men,  was  to  surprise  the  German 
party  in  the  village.  The  rest,  having  made  a  detour, 
to  avoid  the  village,  were  to  be  in  readiness  to  attack 
the  posts  near  the  bridge  immediately  a  gun  was  fired  in 
the  village.  The  attack  was  to  be  made  at  daybreak. 
From  the  bridge  to  the  nearest  point  where  the  forest 
was  thick  enough  to  afford  a  safe  shelter  was  a  distance 
of  about  two  miles. 

As  soon  as  it  became  dark  the  camp-fires  were  allowed 
to  burn  low,  and  shortly  afterward  the  whole  corps, 
with  the  exception  of  the  sentries,  were  sound  asleep. 
At  four  o'clock  they  were  roused  and  marched  silently 
off  in  the  appointed  direction.  By  five  o'clock  each 
party  was  at  its  post,  and  for  half  an  hour  they  lay  in 
expectancy.  The  Barclays  were  with  Major  Tempe's 
party  near  the  bridge.  Louis  Duburg  and  Tim  were 
with  the  party  at  the  village. 


142  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

The  attack  upon  the  village  was  to  take  place  at  half- 
past  five^  and  never*  did  moments  appear  so  slow  to  the 
boys  as  those  which  passed  as  they  awaited  the  signal. 
At  last  the  silence  was  broken  by  the  sharp  crack  of  the 
rifle,  followed  by  three  or  four  others. 

"There  goes  the  Prussian  sentry,  and  there  is  our 
reply/'  Major  Tempe  said.     "Now,  lads,  forward!" 

As  he  spoke,  the  sentry  on  the  bridge  fired  his  rifle; 
immediately  this  was  repeated  by  the  next  sentry  on  the 
line,  and  the  signal  was  taken  up  by  each  sentry  until 
the  sound  died  in  the  distance.  As  it  had  done  so,  tha 
franc-tireurs  had  made  a  rush  forward.  They  were  met 
by  a  straggling  discharge  from  the  Germans,  as,  half- 
asleep,  they  hurried  out  from  the  guardroom.  This 
was  answered  by  the  fire  of  the  franc-tireurs,  who  sur- 
rounded them.  Five  fell,  and  the  others,  surprised  and 
panic-stricken,  threw  down  their  arms.  They  were 
instantly  secured,  and  the  bridge  was  at  once  seized. 
The  firing  still  continued  in  the  village,  but  in  another 
five  minutes  it  ceased,  and  shortly  afterward  Louis 
Duburg  ran  up  with  the  tidings  that  the  village  was 
taken.  The  Germans,  surprised  in  their  beds,  had 
offered  but  a  slight  resistance.  Four  were  killed,  and 
sixteen  taken  prisoners;  one  franc-tireur  only  was 
slightly  wounded. 

"Take  two  men  with  you,"  Major  Tempe  said,  "and 
escort  those  five  prisoners  to  the  village.  Give  them 
over  to  Lieutenant  Houdin,  and  tell  him  to  send  them 
with  the  prisoners  he  has  taken  under  charge  of  six  men 
to  the  forest.  Let  their  hands  be  tied  behind  their 
backs,  for  we  cannot  spare  a  larger  escort.  Tell  him  to 
be  sure  that  the  escort  are  loaded  and  have  fixed  bayo- 
nets. Directly  he  has  sent  off  the  prisoners  let  him  join 
me  here  with  the  rest  of  his  force." 

Lieutenant  Eibouville  now  set  to  work  to  inspect  the 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC- TIRE  UBS.  143 

bridge,  and  ordered  the  men,  who  were  provided  with 
the  necessary  implements,  to  set-to  and  dig  a  hole  down 
to  the  crown  of  the  principal  arch.  It  was  harder  work 
than  they  had  expected.  The  roadway  was  solid,  the 
ballast  pressed  down  very  tightly,  and  the  crown  of  the 
arch  covered  to  a  considerable  depth  with  concrete. 
Only  a  few  men  could  work  at  once,  and  after  a  half- 
hour's  desperate  labor  the  hole  was  nothing  like  far 
enough  advanced  to  insure  the  total  destruction  of  the 
bridge  upon  [the  charge  being  fired.  In  the  meantime 
the  Prussian  sentries  were  arriving  from  up  and  down 
the  line,  and,  although  not  in  sufficient  force  to  attack, 
had  opened  fire  from  a  distance. 

"Don't  you  think  that  will  do,  Ribouville?"  Major 
Tempe  asked. 

"No,  sir,"  the  other  replied,  "it  might  blow  a  hole 
through  the  top  of  the  arch,  but  I  hardly  think  that  it 
would  do  so;  its  force  would  be  spent  upward." 

At  this  moment  Ralph,  who  had  done  his  spell  of 
work,  and  had  been  down  to  the  stream  to  get  a  drink 
of  water,  came  running  up. 

"If  you  please,  Lieutenant  Ribouville,  there  is  a  hole 
right  through  the  pier,  just  above  the  water's  edge.  It 
seems  to  have  been  left  to  let  any  water  that  gets  into 
the  pier  from  above  make  its  escape.  I  should  think 
that  would  do  to  hold  the  charge." 

"The  very  thing,"  Lieutenant  Ribouville  said  de- 
lightedly; "what  a  fool  I  was  not  to  have  looked  to  see 
if  such  a  hole  existed!  Stop  work,  men,  and  carry  the 
barrels  down  to  the  edge  of  the  water." 

The  stream  was  not  above  waist  deep,  and  the  engineer 
officer  immediately  waded  into  it  and  examined  the  hole. 
He  at  once  pronounced  it  to  be  admirably  suited  to 
the  purpose.  It  did  not,  as  Ralph  had  supposed,  go 
straight  through;  but  there  were  two  holes,  one  upon 


144  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRETTR8. 

each  side  of  the  pier,  nearly  at  the  same  level,  and  each 
extending  into  the  center  of  the  pier.  The  holes  were 
about  four  inches  square. 

The  barrels  of  gun-cotton  were  now  hastily  opened  on 
the  bank,  and  men  waded  out  with  the  contents.  Lieu- 
tenant Eibouville  upon  one  side  and  Ralph  upon  the 
other  took  the  cotton,  and  thrust  it  with  long  sticks 
into  the  ends  of  the  hole.  In  five  minutes  the  contents 
of  the  two  barrels  were  safely  lodged,  the  fuse  inserted, 
and  the  operation  of  tamping  or  ramming  in  dry  sand, 
earth,  and  stones,  commenced.  "Make  haste !"  Major 
Tempe  shouted.  "Their  numbers  are  increasing  fast. 
There  are  some  fifteen  or  twenty  on  either  side." 

A  brisk  fire  of  rifles  was  now  going  on.  The  day  had 
fairly  broken,  and  the  franc-tireurs,  sheltered  behind 
the  parapet  of  the  bridge  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  were 
exchanging  a  lively  fire  with  the  enemy.  Three-quarters 
of  an  hour  had  passed  since  the  first  shot  was  fired. 
Suddenly  a  distant  boom  was  heard,  followed  in  a  few 
seconds  by  a  slight  whizzing  noise,  which  grew  rapidly 
into  a  loud  scream,  and  in  another  moment  there  was  an 
explosion  close  to  the  bridge.  The  men  all  left  off  their 
work  for  an  instant. 

"And  what  may  that  be,  Mister  Percy?  A  more  un- 
pleasant sound  I  niver  heard  since  I  was  a  baby." 

"I  quite  agree  with  you,  Tim,  as  to  its  unpleasantness. 
It  is  a  shell.  The  artillery  are  coming  up  from  Lune- 
ville.  The  fire  of  the  sentries  would  take  the  alarm  in  a 
couple  of  minutes;  give  them  another  fifteen  to  get 
ready,  and  half  an  hour  to  get  within  range.  Here 
comes  another." 

'Are  you  ready,  Ribouville?"  the  commandant 
snouted.  "They  have  cavalry  as  well  as  artillery.  We 
must  be  off,  or  we  shall  get  caught  in  a  trap." 

"I  am  ready,"  was  the  answer.     "Barclay,  strike  a 


THE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREUR8.  145 

match,  and  put  it  to  the  end  of  your  fuse  till  it  begins 
to  fizz.    Have  you  lit  it?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  Ralph  said,  a  moment  later. 

"So  have  I,"  the  lieutenant  said.  "They  will  burn 
about  three  minutes.     Now  for  a  run!" 

In  a  conple  of  minutes  the  franc-tireurs  were  retreat- 
ing at  the  double,  and  they  had  not  gone  a  hundred 
yards  when  they  heard  the  sound  of  two  tremendous 
explosions  following  closely  one  upon  another.  Look- 
ing back  they  saw  that  the  pier  had  fallen  in  fragments, 
and  that  the  bridge  lay  a  heap  of  ruins  in  the  stream. 

"Hurrah,  lads!"  shouted  the  commandant.  "You 
have  done  your  work  well.  Those  who  get  out  of  this 
with  a  whole  skin  may  well  be  proud  of  their  day's  work. 
Don't  mind  the  shells,"  he  continued,  as  two  more  of 
the  missiles  burst  in  quick  succession  within  a  short  dis- 
tance of  them.  "They  make  an  ugly  noise,  but  they 
won't  hurt  us  at  this  distance." 

The  German  artillerymen  had  apparently  arrived  at 
the  same  conclusion,  for  they  now  ceased  to  fire,  and  the 
retreating  corps  were  only  exposed  to  an  occasional  shot 
from  the  infantry  who  had  followed  them  from  the 
bridge. 

"The  artillery  and  cavalry  will  be  up  before  we  reach 
the  wood,"  Percy  said  to  his  brother,  as  they  trotted 
along  side  by  side. 

"They  may  come  up,"  Ralph  said,  "but  they  can  do 
us  no  harm  on  the  broken  ground,  and  will  catch  a 
Tartar  if  they  don't  mind." 

The  ground  was  indeed  unfavorable  for  cavalry  and 
artillery.  It  was  broken  up  with  the  spurs  of  the  hill. 
Here  and  there  great  masses  of  rock  cropped  out  of  the 
ground,  while  patches  of  forest  extended  over  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  the  ground.  In  one  of  these  stand- 
ing upon   rising    and    broken    ground,    Major    Tempe 


14b  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

halted  his  men  and  opened  so  heavy  a  fire  upon  the 
enemy's  cavalry  when  the  column  appeared  that  they 
were  at  once  halted,  and  although,  when  the  artillery 
arrived,  a  few  shells  were  fired  into  the  wood,  the  franc- 
tireurs  had  already  retired  and  gained  the  forest  without 
further  molestation.  Upon  calling  the  roll  it  was  dis- 
covered that  six  men  only  were  missing.  These  had 
fallen  either  killed  or  wounded  from  the  fire  of  the 
enemy's  infantry  during  the  time  that  the  operations  at 
the  bridge  were  being  carried  out. 

There  was  great  rejoicing  at  tho  success  of  their  enter- 
prise, the  effect  of  which  would  certainly  be  to  block  the 
traffic  along  that  line  for  at  least  a  week.  Their  satis- 
faction was,  however,  somewhat  damped  by  the  sight  of 
several  dense  columns  of  smoke  in  the  plain,  showing 
that  the  Germans  had,  as  usual,  wreaked  their  vengeance 
upon  the  innocent  villagers.  The  feeling  of  disgust  was 
changed  to  fury  when  some  of  the  peasants,  who  had 
fled  into  the  woods  upon  the  destruction  of  their  abodes, 
reported  the  Germans,  having  found  that  three  of  the 
franc-tireurs  were  only  wounded,  had  dragged  them 
along  to  the  entrance  to  the  village,  and  had  them  hung 
there  upon  some  trees  by  the  roadside.  Had  it  not  been 
for  Major  Tempe's  assurance  that  their  comrades  should 
be  avenged,  the  franc-tireurs  would  at  once  have  killed 
their  prisoners. 

In  the  evening  the  men  were  formed  up,  the  prisoners 
ranged  in  line,  and  twelve  were  taken  by  lot;  and  these, 
with  the  officer  taken  with  them,  when  night  fell,  were 
bound  and  marched  off  under  a  guard  of  thirty  men. 
Neither  of  the  boys  formed  part  of  the  escort,  which  wa3 
an  immense  relief  to  them;  for  although  they  were  as 
indignant  as  the  rest  at  the  murder  of  their  wounded 
comrades  by  the  Germans,  and  quite  agreed  in  the 
justice  of  reprisal,  still  they  were  greatly  relieved  when 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TI11EURS.  147 

they  found  that  they  would  not  have  to  be  present  at 
the  execntion. 

Two  hours  later  Major  Tenipe  returned  with  the 
escort.  The  officer  and  eleven  of  his  men  had  been 
hnng  on  trees  by  the  roadside  at  a  distance  of  half  a  mile 
only  from  the  village;-  the  twelfth  man  had  been  released 
as  bearer  of  a  note  from  Major  Tenipe  to  the  German 
commanding  officer,  saying  that,  as  a  reprisal  for  the 
murder  of  the  three  wounded  franc-tireurs,  he  had  hung 
twelve  Germans,  and  that  in  future  he  would  always 
hang  four  prisoners  for  every  one  of  his  men  who  might 
be  murdered  contrary  to  the  rules  of  war.  This  act  of 
retributive  justice  performed,  the  corps  retreated  to  join 
the  army  of  the  Vosges  under  General  Cambriels. 

The  news  of  the  destruction  of  the  bridge  across  the 
Vosges  had  preceded  them,  and  when,  after  three  days' 
heavy  marching,  they  reached  the  village  which  formed 
the  headquarters  of  the  general,  they  were  received  with 
loud  cheers  by  the  crowds  of  Mobiles  who  thronged  its 
little  streets.  It  was  out  of  the  question  to  find  quar- 
ters, and  the  major  therefore  ordered  the  men  to  bivouac 
in  the  open  while  he  reported  himself  to  General  Cam- 
briels. The  commandant  of  the  franc-tireurs  was  per- 
sonally known  to  General  Cambriels,  having  at  one  time 
served  for  some  years  under  his  command,  and  he  was 
most  warmly  received  by  the  veteran,  one  of  the  bravest 
and  most  popular  of  the  French  generals.  As  general 
of  the  district  he  had  received  all  Major  Tempe's  reports, 
and  was  therefore  acquainted  with  the  actions  of  the 
corps. 

"Ah,  major!"  he  said,  after  the  first  greetings,  "if  I 
had  only  a  few  thousand  men  animated  with  the  spirit 
and  courage  of  your  fellows,  the  Germans  would  never 
get  through  the  Vosges.  As  it  is,  I  shall  of  course  do 
my  best;  but  what  can  one  do  with  an  army  of  plow- 


148  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

boys  led  by  officers  who  know  nothing  of  their  duty, 
against  troops  like  the  Germans?  As  for  my  frane- 
tireurs  they  are  in  many  cases  worse  than  useless.  They 
have  no  discipline  whatever;  they  embroil  me  with  the 
peasantry;  they  are  always  complaining;  the  whole  of 
them  together  have  not  done  as  much  real  service  as 
your  small  band;  they  shoot  down  Uhlans  when  they 
catch  them  in  very  small  parties,  but  have  no  notion 
whatever  of  real  fighting.  However,  I  cannot  thank 
you  too  warmly.  Your  name  will  appear  in  the  Gazette 
to-morrow  as  colonel,  and  I  must  ask  you  to  extend  the 
sphere  of  your  duties.  We  want  officers  terribly,  and  I 
will  brigade  four  or  five  of  these  corps  of  franc-tireurs 
under  your  orders,  so  as  to  make  up  a  force  of  a  thou- 
sand men.  You  will  have  full  authority  over  them,  to 
enforce  any  discipline  you  may  choose.  I  want  you  to 
make  a  body  to  act  as  an  advanced-guard  of  skirmishers 
to  my  army  of  Mobiles.  I  have  a  few  line  troops,  but  I 
want  them  as  a  nucleus  for  the  force.    What  do  you  say  ?" 

"Personally,  general,  I  should  greatly  prefer  remain- 
ing with  my  own  little  corps,  upon  every  man  of  whom 
I  can  rely;  at  the  same  time  I  should  not  wish  for  a 
moment  to  oppose  my  own  likings  or  dislikings  to  the 
general  good  of  the  service.  Many  of  these  corps  of 
franc-tireurs  are  composed  of  excellent  materials  and  if 
well  led  and  disciplined  would  do  anything.  I  can  only 
say  I  will  do  my  best." 

"Thank  you;  Tempe,  is  there  anything  else  I  can  do 
for  you?" 

"I  should  like  to  see  a  step  given  to  the  three  officers 
serving  under  me,"  the  major  said.  "They  have  all 
served  in  the  regular  army,  and  all  have  equally  well 
done  their  duty." 

"It  shall  be  done;  and  two  of  them  shall  be  posted  to 
other  corps,  while  one  takes  the  command  of  your  own/' 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  149 

the  general  said.  "Do  you  wish  commissions  for  any  of 
the  men:" 

Major  Tempe  named  three  of  the  men,  and  then 
added,  "The  two  members  of  the  corps  who  have  most 
distinguished  themselves  I  have  not  mentioned,  general, 
because  they  are  too  young  to  place  over  the  heads  of 
the  others;  at  the  same  time  their  services  certainly 
deserve  recognition.  I  mentioned  them  in  the  dis- 
patches I  sent  to  you  as  having  done  immense  service  by 
going  down  in  disguise  into  the  midst  of  the  Germans. 
In  fact  at  Saverne  they  saved  the  corps  from  destruc- 
tion.    They  are  two  young  English  lads  named  Barclay." 

"I  remember  distinctly,"  General  Cambriels  said. 
"They  speak  French  fluently,  I  suppose,  as  well  aa 
German  ?" 

"Both  languages  like  natives/'  the  major  answered. 

"And  can  they  ride?" 

"Yes,  admirably,"  Major  Tempe  said.  "I  knew 
them  before  the  war,  and  they  are  excellent  horsemen." 

"Then  they  are  the  very  fellows  for  me,"  General 
Cambriels  said.  "I  will  give  them  commission  in  the 
provisional  army  at  once,  and  put  them  upon  my  own 
staff.  They  would  be  of  great  value  to  me.  You  will 
spare  them,  I  hope?" 

"I  shall  be  extremely  sorry  to  do  so,  general,  but  for 
their  own  sakes  and  for  the  good  of  the  service  I  will  of 
course  do  so." 

"Thanks,  colonel;  I  shall  put  the  franc-tireurs  of 
Dijon  in  general  orders  to-morrow  as  having  performed 
good  service  to  the  country,  and  please  to  thank  them  in 
my  name  for  their  services." 

"Thank  you  very  much,  general;  it  will  give  me  more 
pleasure  than  even  the  step  that  you  have  been  kind 
enough  to  give  to  myself." 

"Good-evening,  colonel,  we  must  have  a  long  chat  to* 


150  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

gether  one  of  these  days.  The  chief  of  my  staff  will 
give  you  the  names  of  the  corps  to  be  placed  under 
your  orders.  The  matter  was  settled  this  morning,  and 
I  have  picked  out  the  best  of  those  here.  Orders  have 
been  sent  for  them  to  assemble  to  Raoul,  a  village  a  mile 
from  here,  in  the  morning,  with  a  notification  that  they 
are  placed  under  your  command.     Good-by." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-T1REUH8.  1$1 


CHAPTER    XL 

A  FIGHT  IK  THE  VOSGES. 

Upon  Colonel  Tempe's  rejoining  the  men,  who  were 
already  busy  preparing  their  suppers,  he  ordered  the 
assembly  to  be  sounded,  and  when  they  were  formed  up,  he 
formally  thanked  them  in  the  name  of  the  general  for  the 
service  that  they  had  rendered,  adding  that  they  would 
appear  in  general  orders  upon  the  following  day.  The 
men  replied  with  a  cheer  of  "Vive  la  France."  Their 
commander  then  informed  them  that  he  himself  had 
received  a  step  in  rank,  and  would  in  future  command 
them  with  several  other  corps;  that  Lieutenant  Ribou- 
ville  would  in  future  be  their  special  commander  with 
the  rank  of  captain,  that  the  other  two  lieutenants 
would  be  promoted,  and  that  three  of  their  number 
would  receive  commissions;  and  while  one  of  them 
remained  under  Captain  Ribouville,  the  other  would 
with  the  newly-made  captain  be  attached  to  other  corps. 
The  two  Barclays  would  receive  commission  as  officers 
On  the  staff  of  General  Cambriels  himself. 

When  Colonel  Tempe  finished  speaking  the  boys  could 
hardly  believe  their  ears,  and  looked  at  each  other  to 
inquire  if  they  heard  aright.  There  could  be  no  mistake 
about  it,  for  Colonel  Tempe  called  them  forward,  and, 
shaking  hands  with  them,  congratulated  them  on  the 
promotion  which,  he  said,  they  had  well  earned.  The 
men   gave  a  hearty  cheer,  for  the  young  English  lads 


152  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

were  general  favorites  for  their  good  temper  and  will- 
ingness to  oblige. 

Directly  the  men  were  dismissed  the  colonel  again 
called  the  lads  to  him.  "I  am  sorry  to  lose  you/'  he 
said,  "but  of  course  it  is  for  your  good.  Come  with  me 
at  once  to  General  Cambriels;  I  will  introduce  you,  and 
you  had  better  ask  for  four  days'  leave;  you  can  get  the 
railway  in  four  hours'  ride  from  here.  You  will  have  no 
difficulty  in  finding  a  place  in  some  of  the  commissariat 
cities  going  to  fetch  stores.  If  you  start  to-night  you 
can  catch  a  train  before  morning,  and  be  in  Dijon  quite 
early.  A  couple  of  days  will  be  sufficient  to  get  your 
uniforms  made,  and  to  buy  horses.  Your  cousin  will  go 
with  you;  I  gave  him  leave  last  night  to  start  upon  our 
arrival  here.  He  is  not  so  strong  as  you  are,  and  the 
surgeon  says  that  he  must  have  rest  and  quiet;  he  is 
quite  worn  out.  Now  pile  your  rifles,  you  will  not  want 
them  any  more,  and  come  with  me.  I  have  said  good- 
night to  the  general,  but  he  will  excuse  me." 

Still  bewildered,  the  boys  did  as  they  were  ordered. 
As  they  were  piling  their  rifles  they  heard  a  loud  blub- 
bering; looking  round  they  saw  Tim  Doyle  weeping 
most  copiously. 

"What  is  the  matter,  Tim?" 

"Matter!  your  honor,  ain't  yer  going  to  lave  us? 
What  am  I  going  to  ds  at  all?" 

The  boys  hurried  away  without  reply,  for  Colonel 
Tempe  was  waiting  for  them,  and  on  the  way  to  head- 
quarters mentioned  Tim's  grief  at  parting  with  them. 

The  general  received  the  lads  most  kindly,  and  at  once 
granted  them  four  days'  leave  to  go  to  Dijon  to  procure 
uniform.  Colonel  Tempe  then  said,  "You  do  not  want 
orderlies,  do  you,  general?" 

"I  do,  indeed,"  the  general  answered;  "I  have  about 
a  dozen  cavalry  men  of  different  regiments  who  form  my 


THE  TOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  153 

escort  and  act  as  orderlies,  but  they  are  my  entire  force 
of  cavalry." 

"I  have  an  Irishman  in  my  corps,  general,  who  only 
joined  to  be  near  these  young  fellows;  he  was  brought 
up  among  horses,  and  you  have  only  to  put  him  on  a 
hussar  uniform,  and  he  would  make  a  capital  orderly, 
and  would  act  as  servant  to  your  new  staff  officers." 

"Byall  means,"  the  general  said;  "send  him  over  in 
the  morning.  We  will  make  a  hussar  of  him  in  half  an 
hour;  we  have  got  a  few  uniforms  in  store." 

What  a  meeting  that  was  near  Dijon!  The  boys  upon 
reaching  the  station  had  found  a  train  upon  the  point  of 
starting,  and  it  was  seven  in  the  morning  when  they 
reached  the  town.  The  shops  open  early  in  French 
country  towns,  and  although  their  tailor  had  not  as  yet 
taken  his  shutters  down  he  was  up  and  about,  and  will- 
ingly measured  them  for  their  new  uniforms,  promising 
that  they  should  have  them  without  fail  the  next  after- 
noon. They  then  walked  up  to  the  cottage,  and  dropped 
in  just  as  the  party  there  were  sitting  down  to  breakfast. 
There  was  a  loud  exclamation  from  Captain  Barclay,  and 
a  scream  of  delight  from  their  mother  and  Milly,  and  it 
was  a  good  ten  minutes  before  they  were  sitting  round 
the  table,  talking  coherently.  It  was  but  six  weeks  since 
they  had  left,  but  it  seemed  like  years,  and  there  was  as 
much  to  tell  and  to  talk  about  as  if  they  had  just 
returned  after  an  absence  of  half  a  lifetime  in  India. 

"How  long  have  you  got  leave  for?"  was  one  of  the 
first  questions. 

"Only  four  days,"  Percy  said.     "The  corps  has  now 
joined  the  army  of  the  Vosges,  and  will  act  regularly 
with  it,     A  move  forward  will  take  place  in  a  few  days 
so  that  we  could  not  ask  for  longer." 

"Only  four  days!"  Mrs.  Barclay  and  Milly  repeate  , 
aghast. 


154  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

"It  is  not  much,  mamma,"  Ealph  put  in,  "but  it  is 
better  than  nothing;  you  see  you  did  not  expect  us  at 
alL" 

"Quite  so,"  Captain  Barclay  said  cheerfully.  "It  is 
a  clear  gain,  and  we  waste  the  time  in  regretting  that  it 
is  not  longer.  It  is  a  great  delight  to  have  you  back 
again,  even  for  a  few  hours.  You  both  look  wonderfully 
well,  and  fully  a  year  older  than  when  you  left.  Rough- 
ing it  and  exposure  evidently  suits  you.  Has  Louis 
come  back  with  you?" 

"Yes,  papa,  he  has  come  back  to  stay  for  some  time; 
he  is  completely  done  up,  and  the  surgeon  has  ordered 
rest  and  quiet  for  awhile.     How  is  Philippe?" 

"He  is  getting  on  well,  and  will  walk,  the  doctor 
hopes,  in  another  fortnight  or  three  weeks,  but  I  have 
not  seen  him;  for  although  your  uncle  comes  in  as  usual 
for  a  chat  with  me,  Madam  Duburg  ha3  never  forgiven 
me  for  having,  as  she  says,  influenced  him  in  allowing  the 
boys  to  go,  and  of  course  since  this  wound  of  Philippe's 
she  has  been  more  angry  than  ever." 

The  boys  laughed;  they  understood  their  aunt's  ways. 

"Tim  has  not  been  hurt,  I  hope?"  Milly  asked. 

"Oh,  no;  Tim  is  as  well  as  ever,  and  the  life  and  soul 
of  the  corps." 

As  breakfast  went  on  the  boys  gradually  related  the 
changes  that  were  taking  place;  Major  Tempe's  promo- 
tion to  be  colonel,  and  the  fact  that  he  was  placed  in 
command  of  several  corps  of  franc-tireurs,  who  were 
hereafter  to  act  together.  They  said  no  word,  however, 
about  their  own  promotion,  having  agreed  to  keep  that 
matter  secret  until  the  uniforms  were  completed.  They 
had  also  asked  their  cousin  to  say  nothing  about  it  at 
home,  as  otherwise  their  uncle  would  have  been  sure  to 
have  come  in  to  congratulate  them,  and  the  secret  would 
have  been  at  an  end  at  once.  An  hour  later  M.  Duburg 
came  in  to  see  them. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREimS.  155 

After  the  first  talk  he  said  to  Captain  Barclay:  "The 
way  in  which  your  boys  have  stood  the  fatigue  is  a  proof 
in  itself  how  much  the  prosperity  of  a  nation  depends 
upon  the  training  of  its  boys.  England  is  strong,  be- 
cause her  boys  are  all  accustomed,  from  their  childhood, 
to  active  exercise  and  outdoor  violent  games.  In  case  of 
a  war  like  this  which  we  are  going  through,  almost  every 
man  could  turn  soldier,  and  go  through  the  fatigues  of  a 
campaign;  and  what  is  more,  could  make  light  of,  not 
to  say  enjoy  them.  Here,  upon  the  contrary,  our  young 
fellows  do  nothing,  and  in  an  emergency  like  the  present 
want  both  spirit  and  strength  to  make  soldiers.  Almost 
all  the  boys  who  went  from  here  in  Tempe's  corps  have 
returned  completely  worn  out.  Even  Louis  is  a  wreck, 
although,  thanks  to  the  companionship  of  your  boys,  he 
has  supported  it  better  and  longer  than  the  majority  of 
them.  Had  he  begun  as  a  child  to  take  pleasure  in 
strong  exercise  no  doubt  he  could  have  stood  it  as  well 
as  Ralph  and  Percy,  who  look  absolutely  benefited  by  it. 
Unfortunately  I  allowed  my  wife's  silly  objection  to  pre- 
vail until  the  last  three  years,  when  I  insisted  that  they 
should  do  as  they  liked.  As  I  have  said  before,  Barclay, 
I  say  again:  I  congratulate  you  on  your  boys;  you  have  a 
right  to  be  proud  of  them.  I  wish  the  race  of  young 
Frenchmen  were  only  like  them." 

Great,  indeed,  was  the  astonishment,  upon  the  after- 
noon of  the  following  day,  when  Kalph  and  Percy  walked 
into  the  sitting-room  dressed  as  staff-officers,  feeling  a 
little  awkward  with  their  swords,  but  flushed  with  an 
honorable  pleasure  and  pride,  for  their  epaulets  had  been 
gained  by  no  family  interests,  no  private  influence;  they 
were  worn  as  the  reward  of  good  service.  Captain  Bar- 
clay wrung  the  boys'  hands  silently.  Their  mother  cried 
with  delight,  and  Milly  danced  round  the  boys  like  a 
6mall  possessed-one. 


156  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

"It  is  not  for  the  absolute  rank  itself,  boys,  that  I  am 
pleased/'  their  father  said,  when  they  had  related  the 
whole  circumstances,  "for  you  have  no  idea  of  remain- 
ing in  the  French  service,  and  consequently  the  rank  will 
be  of  no  use  to  you  after  the  end  of  the  war;  still  it  is  a 
thing  all  your  lives  to  be  proud  of — that  you  won  your 
commission  in  the  French  army  by  good  service." 

"What  I  am  thinking  of  most,"  Mrs.  Barclay  said,  "is 
that  now  they  are  officers  in  the  regular  army  they  will 
run  no  risk  of  being  shot  if  they  are  taken  prisoners." 

"We  don't  mean  to  be  taken  prisoners,  mamma;  still, 
as  you  say,  it  is  certainly  an  advantage  in  favor  of  the 
regular  uniform."  t 

"And  what  is  to  become  of  Tim?"  Milly  asked. 

"Oh,  Tim  is  going  to  become  a  hussar,  and  act  as  one 
of  the  general's  orderlies,  and  be  our  servant  when  he 
has  nothing  else  to  do.  You  see,  now  we  are  officers,  we 
have  a  right  to  servants." 

"I  am  very  glad  Tim  is  going  with  you,"  Mrs.  Bar- 
clay said;  "my  brother  tells  us  that  he  saved  Philippe's 
life,  and  it  seems  a  comfort  to  know  that  he  is  with  you.' 

The  next  morning  Captain  Barclay  went  down  with 
them  to  the  town  and  purchased  a  couple  of  capital 
horses,  which  by  great  good  fortune  were  on  sale. 

Upon  the  morning  of  the  fourth  day  of  their  visit  the 
boys  took  leave  of  their  father  and  mother,  and  left  to 
join  the  headquarters  of  General  Oambriels.  The  part- 
ing was  far  less  trying  than  it  had  been  the  first  time 
they  went  away.  The  boys  were  not  now  going  out  to 
an  unknown  danger.  Although  the  risk  that  a  staff- 
officer  runs  is  absolutely  somewhat  greater  than  that 
incurred  by  a  regimental  officer,  still  it  is  slight  in  com- 
parison with  the  risk  run  by  a  franc-tireur  employed  in 
harassing  an  enemy,  and  in  cutting  his  communications, 
especially    when    capture    means     death.     Those    who 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  157 

remained  behind  were  encouraged  partly  by  this  thought, 
but  still  more  by  the  really  irrational  one,  that  as  the 
boys  had  gone  away  and  come  back  safe  once,  they  would 
probably  do  so  again. 

The  evening  of  the  same  day  the  Barclays  reported 
themselves  for  duty  to  the  general,  and  next  morning 
began  work.  Their  duty  was  hard,  though  simple.  By 
day  they  were  constantly  on  duty,  that  is  to  say,  either 
riding  over  the  country,  or  waiting  near  the  general's 
quarters,  in  readiness  for  a  start,  or,  more  seldom,  writ- 
ing and  drawing  up  reports  in  the  office.  By  night  they 
took  it  in  turns  with  the  other  staff-officers  to  be  on 
duty,  that  is  to  say,  to  lie  down  to  sleep,  in  uniform, 
with  the  horse  saddled  at  the  door,  in  readiness  to  start 
at  an  instant's  notice.  Tim's  duties  as  an  orderly  were 
not  heavy,  and  were  generally  over  by  five  o'clock,  after 
which  he  acted  as  servant  to  the  boys.  It  was  impossi- 
ble, under  the  circumstances,  for  the  staff  to  mess 
together  as  usual.  There  was  neither  a  room  available, 
nor  indeed  any  of  the  appliances.  Among  Tim's  other 
duties,  therefore,  was  that  of  cooking.  They  had  also 
another  orderly  allotted  to  them,  and  he  devoted  him- 
self to  the  care  of  the  horses,  Tim  undertaking  all  other 
work. 

The  boys  liked  their  new  duties  much.  The  work  was 
hard,  but  pleasant;  their  fellow-officers  were  pleasant 
companions,  and  their  general  most  kind  and  genial. 

A  week  after  they  had  joined  General  Oambriels  ad- 
vanced into  the  Vosges  to  oppose  the  Prussians  who  were 
marching  south.  The  progress  of  the  army  was  slow,  for 
they  had  to  carry  what  supplies  they  required  with  them. 
Colonel  Tempe  kept  with  his  command  a  few  hours' 
march  ahead,  and  one  or  other  of  the  boys  was  fre- 
quently dispatched  with  orders,  etc.,  to  obtain  reports 
from  him.     After  three  days'  marching  they  neared  the 


158  TEE  YOUNG  PRANC-TIREURS. 

enemy.  All  was  now  watchfulness  and  excitement;  the 
franc-tireurs  were  already  engaged  in  skirmishing,  and 
early  one  morning  Ralph  received  orders  to  ride  forward 
and  reconnoiter  the  enemy's  position.  Passing  through 
the  posts  of  franc-tireurs,  he  rode  cautiously  along  the 
road,  with  his  hand  on  the  butt  of  his  revolver,  and  his 
horse  well  in  hand,  ready  to  turn  and  ride  for  his  life  on 
an  instant's  notice.  Presently,  as  the  road  wound 
through  a  narrow  gorge  lined  with  trees,  he  heard  a 
voice  say,  close  in  his  ear,  "Stop!"  He  reined  in  his 
horse  and  drew  his  pistol.  The  leaves  parted,  and  a 
man  of  some  sixty  years  of  age,  armed  with  an  old 
double-barreled  fowling-piece,  stepped  out. 

"The  Germans  are  just  beyond,"  he  said;  "I  expect 
them  every  moment." 

"And  what  are  you  doing  here?"  Ralph  asked. 

"What  am  I  doing?"  repeated  the  peasant.  "I  am 
waiting  to  shoot  some  of  them." 

"But  they  will  hang  you,  to  a  certainty,  if  they  catch 
you." 

"Let  them,"  the  old  man  said  quietly;  "they  will  do 
me  no  more  harm  than  they  have  done  me.  I  had  a 
nice  farm  near  Metz;  I  lived  there  with  my  wife  and 
daughter,  and  my  three  boys.  Some  one  fired  at  the 
Prussians  from  a  wood  near.  No  one  was  hit,  but  that 
made  no  difference.  The  black-hearted  scoundrels  came 
to  my  farm,  shot  my  three  boys  before  their  mother's  eyes, 
ill-treated  her  so  that  she  died  next  day,  and  when  I 
returned — for  I  was  away  at  the  time — I  found  a  heap  of 
ashes  where  my  house  had  stood,  the  dead  bodies  of  my 
three  boys,  my  wife  dying,  and  my  daughter  sitting  by, 
screaming  with  laughter,  mad — quite  mad!  I  took  her 
away  to  a  friend's  house,  and  stayed  with  her  till  she 
died  too,  a  fortnight  after;  then  I  bought  this  gun  and 
some  powder  and  lead  with  my  last  money,  and  went  on* 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREUBS.  159 

to  kill  Prussians.  I  have  killed  thirteen  already,  and, 
please  God/*  and  the  peasant  lifted  his  hat  devoutly,  "I 
will  kill  two  more  to-day.'' 

"How  is  it  that  you  have  escaped  so  long?*'  Ralph 
asked  in  surprise. 

"I  never  fire  at  infantry/'  the  peasant  said.  "It  was 
Uhlans  that  did  it,  and  it's  only  Uhlans  I  fire  at.  I  put 
myself  on  a  rock  or  a  hillside  where  they  can't  come,  or 
in  a  thick  wood,  and  I  content  myself  with  my  two  shots, 
aud  then  go.  I  don't  want  to  be  killed  yet.  I  have  set 
my  mind  on  having  fifty — just  ten  for  each  of  mine — and 
when  I've  shot  the  last  of  the  fifty,  the  sooner  they  finish 
me  the  better.  You'd  better  not  go  any  further,  sir. 
The  valley  widens  out  round  the  corner,  and  there  are 
Prussians  in  the  nearest  village.'' 

"Thank  you,"  Ralph  said,  "but  my  orders  are  to  re- 
connoiter  them  myself,  and  I  must  do  so.  I  am  well 
mounted,  and  I  don't  think  that  they  will  catch  me  if  I 
get  a  couple  of  hundred  yards'  start.  There  are  franc- 
tireurs  in  the  village  a  mile  back." 

Ralph  now  rode  carefully  forward,  while  the  peasant 
went  back  into  his  hiding-place  by  the  wood.  As  he  had 
said,  the  gorge  widened  into  a  broad  valley  a  few  hun- 
dred yards  further  on.  Upon  emerging  from  the  gorge 
Ralph  at  once  saw  a  village,  almost  hidden  among  trees, 
at  a  distance  of  less  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  After 
what  he  had  heard,  he  dared  not  ride  on  further.  He 
therefore  drew  his  horse  aside  from  the  road  among  some 
trees,  dismounted,  and  made  his  way  carefully  up  the 
rocky  side  of  the  hill  to  a  point  from  which  he  could 
command  a  view  down  the  whole  valley.  When  he 
gained  this  spot  he  looked  cautiously  round;  below, 
beyond  the  village,  he  could  see  large  numbers  of  men, 
could  make  out  lines  of  cavalry  horses,  and  rows  of  artiK 
lsry.    A  considerable  movement  was  going  on,  and  Ralph 


X60  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

had  no  doubt  that  they  were  about  to  advance.  In  his 
interest  in  what  he  saw  he  probably  exposed  his  figure 
somewhat,  and  caught  the  eye  of  some  sharp-sighted 
sentry  in  the  village. 

The  first  intimation  of  his  danger  was  given  him  by 
seeing  some  twenty  Uhlans  dart  suddenly  out  of  the 
trees  in  which  the  village  lay  at  the  top  of  their  speed, 
while  almost  at  the  same  moment  eight  or  ten  rifles 
flashed,  and  the  balls  whizzed  round  him  in  most 
unpleasant  propinquity.  Ralph  turned  in  an  instant, 
and  bounded  down  the  rock  with  a  speed  and  reckless- 
ness of  which  at  any  other  moment  he  would  have  been 
incapable.  Fierce  as  was  the  pace  at  which  the  Uhlans 
were  galloping,  they  were  still  a  hundred  yards  distant 
when  Kalph  leaped  upon  his  horse  and  galloped  out  in 
front  of  them.  There  was  a  rapid  discharge  of  their 
carbines,  but  men  at  full  gallop  make  but  poor  shooting. 
Ralph  felt  he  was  untouched,  but  by  the  convulsive 
spring  which  his  horse  gave  he  knew  the  animal  was 
wounded.  For  a  couple  of  hundred  yards  there  was  but 
little  difference  in  his  speed,  and  then  Ralph,  to  his  dis- 
may, felt  him  flag,  and  knew  that  the  wound  had  been  a 
severe  one.  Another  hundred  yards,  and  the  animal 
staggered  and  would  have  fallen  had  not  Ralph  held  him 
up  well  with  knee  and  bridle.  The  Uhlans  saw  it,  for 
they  gave  a  shout,  and  a  pistol-bullet  whizzed  close  to 
his  head.  Ralph  looked  round:  an  officer,  twenty  yards 
ahead  of  his  men,  was  only  about  forty  yards  in  his  rear. 
In  his  hand  he  held  a  revolver,  which  he  had  just  dis- 
charged. "Surrender!"  he  shouted,  "or  you  are  a  dead 
man!" 

Ralph  saw  that  his  pursuers  were  too  close  to  enable 
him  to  carry  out  his  intention  of  dismounting  and  taking 
to  the  wood,  which  here  began  to  approach  thickly  close 
to  the  road,  and  was  on  the  point  of  throwing  up  his  arm 


THE  YOUNG  FUANC-TIREUR8.  161 

in  token  of  surrender,  when  his  horse  fell  heavily  with 
him,  at  the  moment  when  the  Prussian  again  fired. 
Almost  simultaneously  with  the  crack  of  the  pistol  came 
the  report  of  a  gun,  and  the  German  officer  fell  off  his 
horse,  shot  through  the  heart. 

Ralph  leaped  to  his  feet  and  dashed  up  the  bank  in 
;>mong  the  trees  just  as  another  shot  was  fired  with  a  like 
f#tal  result  into  the  advancing  Uhlans.  The  rest,  believ- 
ing that  they  had  fallen  into  an  ambush,  instantly  turned 
their  horses'  heads  and  galloped  back  the  road  they  had 
come. 

Ralph's  first  impulse  was  to  rush  down  into  the  road 
and  catch  the  officer's  horse,  which  had  galloped  on  a 
short  distance  when  its  master  fell,  and  was  now  return- 
ing to  follow  its  companions.  As  he  did  so  the  old  peas- 
ant appeared  from  the  wood.  "Thank  you,"  Ealph  said 
warmly.  "You  have  saved  my  life,  or  at  any  rate  have 
saved  me  from  a  German  prison." 

The  peasant  paid  no  attention  to  him,  but  stooped 
down  to  examine  carefully  whether  the  Germans  were 
both  dead. 

"Two  more,"  he  said,  with  a  grim  smile.  "That  makes 
fifteen.     Three  apiece." 

Then  he  picked  up  the  officer's  revolver,  took  the  car- 
tridge belonging  to  it  from  the  pouch,  and,  with  a  wave 
of  the  hand  to  Ralph,  strode  back  into  the  wood. 

Ralph  removed  the  holsters  from  the  saddle  of  his  own 
horse,  which  had  fallen  dead,  placed  them  on  the  horse 
of  the  German  officer,  and  then  mounting  it  rode  off  at 
full  speed  to  inform  General  Cambriels  of  the  results  of 
his  investigation. 

"Halloo,  Barclay,"  one  of  his  fellow-officers  said,  as  he 
rode  up  to  the  headquarters,  "what  have  you  been  up  to? 
Doing  a  little  barter  with  a  German  hussar?  You  seem 
to  have  got  the  best  of  him  too,  for  your  own  horse  was 


162  THE  YOUNG-FRANC-TIREUIIS. 

a  good  one,  but  this  is  a  good  deal  better  unless  I  am 
mistaken.     How  has  it  come  about?" 

Quite  a  crowd  of  idlers  had  collected  round  while  the 
officer  was  speaking,  struck  like  him  with  the  singularity 
of  the  sight  of  a  French  staff  officer  upon  a  horse  with 
German  trappings. 

Ealph  did  not  wish  to  enter  into  explanations  there,  so 
merely  replied  in  the  same  jesting  strain  that  it  had  been 
a  fair  exchange,  the  small  difference  in  the  value  of  the 
horses  being  paid  for  with  a  small  piece  of  lead;  then 
throwing  his  reins  to  his  orderly,  who  came  running  up, 
he  went  in  to  report  to  the  general  the  evident  forward 
movements  of  the  Germans. 

"Are  they  as  strong  as  we  have  heard?"  the  general 
asked. 

"Fully,  I  should  say,  sir.  I  had  no  means  of  judging 
the  infantry,  but  they  seemed  in  large  force.  They  were 
certainly  strong  in  cavalry,  and  I  saw  some  eight  or  ten 
batteries  of  artillery." 

"Let  the  next  for  duty  ride  with  all  speed  to  Tempe, 
and  tell  him  to  hold  the  upper  end  of  this  valley.  Send 
Herve's  battery  forward  to  assist  him.  Have  the  general 
assembly  sounded." 

Ralph  left  to  obey  these  orders,  while  the  general  gave 
the  colonel  of  his  staff  the  instructions  for  the  disposi- 
tion of  his  forces. 

The  army  of  the  Vosges,  pompous  as  was  its  name, 
consisted  at  this  time  of  only  some  ten  thousand  men,  all 
Mobiles  or  franc-tireurs, with  the  exception  of  a  battalion 
of  line  and  a  battalion  of  Zouaves.  The  Mobiles  were 
almost  undisciplined,  having  only  been  out  a  month,  and 
were  for  the  most  part  armed  only  with  the  old  muzzle- 
loader.  Many  were  clothed  only  in  the  gray  trousers 
with  a  red  stripe,  which  forms  part  of  the  Mobiles'  uni- 
form, and  in  a  blue  blouse.     Great  numbers  of  them  were 


THE  YOUNG  FUAXC-TIREURS.  1G3 

nimost  shoeless,  having  been  taken  straight  from  the 
plow  or  workshop,  and  having  received  no  shoes  since 
they  joined.  Half-disciplined,  half-armed,  half-clothed, 
they  were  too  evidently  no  match  for  the  Germans.  The 
fact  was  patent  to  their  general  and  his  officers,  still  his 
instructions  were  to  make  a  stand  at  all  hazards  in  the 
Vosges,  and  he  now  prepared  to  obey  the  orders,  not 
hoping  for  victory,  but  trusting  in  the  natural  courage 
of  his  men  to  enable  him  to  draw  them  off  without  seri- 
ous disaster.  His  greatest  weakness  was  his  artillery,  of 
which  he  had  only  two  batteries  against  eight  or  ten 
of  the  Germans,  whose  forces  were,  even  numerically, 
superior  to  his  own. 

In  half  an  hour  the  dispositions  were  made.  The  val- 
ley was  wide  at  this  point,  and  there  were  some  five  or  six 
villages  nestled  in  it.  It  was  pretty  thickly  wooded,  and 
two  miles  behind  narrowed  again  considerably.  Just  as 
the  troops  had  gained  their  appointed  places,  a  faint 
sound  of  heavy  musketry  fire  was  heard  in  the  gorge 
ahead,  mingled  in  a  few  minutes  with  the  deep  boom  of 
cannon.  The  general,  surrounded  by  his  staff,  moved 
forward  toward  the  J  spot.  From  the  road  at  the  en- 
trance to  the  narrow  part  of  the  valley  nothing  could 
be  seen,  but  the  cracking  of  rifles  among  the  trees  and 
rocks  on  either  side,  .the  bursting  of  shells  and  the 
whistling  of  bullets  were  incessant.  The  general  and  hia 
staff  accordingly  dismounted,  handed  their  horses  to  the 
men  of  the  escort,  and  mounted  the  side  of  the  hill. 

After  a  sharp  climb  they  reached  a  point  from  whence 
they  could  see  right  down  the  long,  narrow  valley.  On 
beyond,  the  trees,  except  near  the  road,  were  thin,  the 
steep  sides  of  the  hills  being  covered  with  great  blocks 
of  stone  and  thick  brushwood.  Among  these,  all  down 
one  side  and  up  the  other,  at  a  distance  of  some  five  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  post  taken  up  by  the  general,  a  sue- 


164  TEE  TOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

cession  of  quick  puffs  of  smoke  told  where  Colonel 
Tempe's  franc-tireurs  were  placed,  while  among  the 
trees  below  there  came  up  the  great  wreaths  of  smoke 
from  the  battery  which  was  supporting  them  by  firing  at 
the  Germans.  These  formed  a  long  line  up  and  down 
the  sides  of  the  valley  at  three  or  four  hundred  yards 
distant  from  the  French  lines.  Two  German  batteries 
were  down  in  the  road  a  few  hundred  yards  to  the  rear 
of  their  skirmishers,  and  these  were  sending  shells 
thickly  up  among  the  rocks  where  the  franc-tireurs  were 
lying  hid,  while  two  other  batteries,  which  the  Germans 
had  managed  to  put  a  short  way  up  on  the  mountain 
sides,  still  further  in  the  rear,  were  raining  shell  with 
deadly  precision  upon  the  French  batteries  in  the  road. 

A  prettier  piece  of  warfare  it  would  have  been  difficult 
to  imagine — the  lofty  mountain  sides;  the  long  lines  of 
little  puffs  of  smoke  among  the  brush-wood  and  rocks; 
the  white  smoke  arising  from  the  trees  in  the  bottom; 
the  quick  dull  bursts  of  the  shells;  as  a  spectacle  it  was 
most  striking.  The  noise  was  prodigious:  the  steep 
sides  of  the  mountain  echoed  each  report  of  the  guns 
into  a  prolonged  roar  like  the  rumble  of  thujnder,  the 
rattle  of  the  musketry  never  ceased  for  an  instant,  and 
loud  and  distinct  above  the  din  rose  the  menacing  scream 
of  the  shells. 

"This  is  grand,  indeed,  Kalph!"  Percy  said,  after  a 
moment's  silence. 

"Splendid!"  Kalph  said;  "but  it  is  evident  we  cannot 
hold  the  gorge:  their  skirmishers  are  three  to  our  one, 
and  their  shells  must  be  doing  terrible  damage." 

"Barclay,"  General  Cambriels  said,  "go  down  to  the 
battery,  and  bring  me  back  word  how  they  are  getting 
on." 

The  scene  quite  lost  its  beauty  to  Percy  now,  as  he  saw 
Ealph  scramble  rapidly  down  the  hillside  in  the  direction 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  URS.  165 

of  the  trees,  among  which  the  French  battery  was 
placed,  and  over  and  among  which  the  shells  were  burst- 
ing every  second.  It  seemed  like  entering  a  fiery  f  ur- 
nace.  It  was  a  terribly  long  ten  minutes  before  Ealph 
was  seen  climbing  up  the  hillside  again,  and  Percy's 
heart  gave  a  jump  of  delight  when  he  first  caught  sight 
of  his  figure.  As  Ealph  came  near  his  brother  saw- 
that  he  was  very  pale,  and  had  a  handkerchief  bound 
round  one  arm;  this  was  already  soaked  with  blood.  He 
kept  on  steadily,  however,  until  he  reached  the  general, 
who  had,  upon  seeing  he  was  wounded,  advanced  to  meet 
him. 

"One  gun  is  dismounted,  sir,  and  half  the  men  are 
killed  or  wounded." 

"Go  down,  Harcourt,  and  tell  Herve  to  fall  back  at 
once,  and  to  take  position  in  the  clump  of  trees  a  quar- 
ter of  a  mile  down  the  valley,  so  as  to  sweep  the  entrance. 
Laon,  go  to  the  right,  and  you,  Dubois,  to  the  left;  order 
the  franc-tireurs  to  retreat  along  the  hillside,  and  when 
they  get  to  the  end  of  the  gorge  to  form  in  the  plain  and 
fall  back  to  the  first  village.  You  are  wounded,  Barclay, 
not  seriously  I  hope/'  he  said  kindly,  as  the  officers 
hurried  away  on  their  respective  missions. 

"A  splinter  of  a  shell,  sir,"  Ealph  said  faintly;  "I 
don't  think  it  has  touched  the  bone,  but  it  has  cut  the 
flesh  badly."  Ealph  was  just  able  to  say  this  when  his 
head  swam,  and  he  would  have  fallen  had  not  Percy 
caught  him  in  his  arms,  with  a  little  cry. 

"He  has  only  fainted  from  loss  of  blood,"  the  general 
said.  "Two  or  three  handkerchiefs,  gentlemen;  now, 
major,  bind  them  round  his  arm;  now  take  off  his  sash, 
and  bind  it  as  tightly  as  you  can  over  them.  That's 
right.  Now  carry  him  down  the  rocks  to  the  horses;  we 
have  no  time  to  lose." 

Two  of    the   officers   at   once   put   their   arms  under 


166  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

Ralph's  shoulders,  while  Percy  took  his  feet,  and  they 
hastened  down  to  the  horses.  As  they  did  so  Ralph 
opened  his  eyes.     "I  am  all  right  now,"  he  said  faintly. 

"Lie  quiet,"  the  major  said  kindly;  "it  is  only  loss 
of  blood,  there  is  no  real  harm  done.  There,  here  are 
the  horses."  Ralph  was  placed  sitting  on  the  ground, 
a  little  brandy  and  water  was  given  to  him,  and  as  the 
blood  was  oozing  but  slowly  through  the  bandage  he  felt 
sufficiently  restored  to  sit  on  his  horse. 

"Doyle,  you  go  with  Lieutenant  Barclay,"  the  colonel 
-of  the  staff  said.  "Ride  slowly,  and  keep  close  beside 
him,  so  as  to  catch  him  if  you  see  hira  totter.  You  will 
find  the  surgeons  ready  at  the  general's  quarters.  Halts 
stand  aside  for  a  moment;  here  comes  the  artillery." 

"Well  done,  lads,  well  done,"  the  general  said  as  the 
diminished  battery  rattled  past  at  full  gallop.  Then  he 
himself,  with  his  staff,  put  spurs  to  his  horse  and  went 
off  at  full  speed,  while  Tim  followed  at  a  walk,  riding  by 
the  side  of  Ralph.  The  flow  of  blood  had  now  stopped, 
and  Ralph  was  able  to  sit  his  horse  until  he  reached  the 
house  which  had  served  as  the  general's  headquarters  in 
the  morning.  Here  one  of  the  staff  surgeons  had  fitted 
up  a  temporary  ambulance,  and  Ralph's  bandages  were 
soon  taken  off  and  his  coat  removed.  Tim  turned  sick 
at  the  sight  of  the  ugly  gash  in  his  young  master's  arm, 
and  was  obliged  to  go  out  into  the  air.  The  artillery 
were  already  at  work,  and  their  fire  told  that  the  franc- 
tireurs  had  retired  from  the  gorge,  and  that  the  Germans 
were  entering  the  wider  valley. 

"You  have  had  a  narrow  escape,"  the  surgeon  said, 
after  examining  Ralph's  arm;  "a  quarter  of  an  inch 
lower,  and  it  would  have  cut  the  main  artery,  and  you 
would  have  bled  to  death  in  five  minutes.  As  it  is, 
there  is  no  great  harm  done.  It  is  a  deepish  flesh- 
wound,  but  with  your  youth  and  constitution  it  will  heal 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIllEURS.  107 

up  in  a  very  short  time.  I  will  draw  the  edges  together 
with  a  needle  and  thread,  put  a  few  straps  of  plaster  on 
and  a  bandage,  and  then  you  had  better  get  into  an  am- 
bulance wagon  and  go  to  the  rear  at  once." 

"Can't  I  go  into  the  field  again  now?"  Ralph  asked; 
"I  feel  as  if  I  could  ride  again  now." 

'No,  you  can  do  nothing  of  the  sort,"  the  surgeon 
said;  "you  have  lost  a  lot  of  blood,  and  if  you  were  to 
ride  now  it  might  set  oh*  the  wound  bleeding  again,  and 
you  might  be  a  dead  man  before  you  could  be  brought 
back  here.  Keep  quiet  and  do  as  you  are  ordered,  and 
in  a  week  you  may  be  in  the  saddle  again." 

"It  seems  very  hard,"  Ralph  began. 

"Not  at  all  hard,"  the  surgeon  said;  "you  will  see 
plenty  more  fighting  before  this  war  is  over;  this  is  a 
hard  case  if  you  like;  you  have  every  reason  to  be 
thankful." 

As  he  spoke  he  pointed  to  a  young  Mobile  who  was 
brought  in,  his  chest  literally  torn  open  with  a  shell. 
"I  can  do  nothing  for  him,"  the  surgeon  said,  after  a 
brief  inspection  of  his  wound;  "he  has  not  half  an  hour 
to  live,  and  will  probably  not  recover  consciousness.  If 
he  does,  give  him  some  weak  brandy. and  water." 

Wounded  men  were  now  being  brought  in  fast,  and 
Ralph  went  out  and  sat  down  by  the  door.  "Fasten  my 
horse  up  here,  Tim;  the  ambulance  will  be  full  of  poor 
fellows  who  will  want  them  more  than  I  shall.  If  I  see 
that  we  are  being  driven  back  I  shall  mount  and  ride 
quietly  back.  No,  there  is  nothing  more  you  can  do  for 
me;  go  and  join  Percy." 

The  fight  was  now  raging  furiously.  The  Germans 
covered,  by  the  fire  of  their  artillery,  had  debouched 
from  the  pass  and  were  steadily  pressing  forward.  They 
had  already  carried  the  village  nearest  to  them.  This 
the  French  had  set  fire  to  before  retreating  to  prevent 


168  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  \ 

its  serving  as  a  shelter  for  the  enemy.  The  Mobiles 
stood  their  ground  for  the  most  part  well  under  tie 
heavy  fire  of  shot  and  shell,  but  their  muzzle-loaders 
were  no  match  for  the  Germans'  needle  guns,  and  tie 
enemy  were  pressing  steadily :  forward.  Just  as  Tip 
Doyle  rode  up  to  the  staff  the  Germans  had  taken  an- 
other village. 

"That  village  must  be  retaken, "  the  general  said. 
"Barclay,  ride  and  order  the  Zouaves  to  carry  it  with 
the  bayonet." 

Percy  galloped  off  to  where  the  Zouaves,  lying  behind 
a  ridge  in  the  ground,  were  keeping  up  a  heavy  fire  in 
answer  to  the  storm  of  shot  and  shell  which  fell  around 
them.  He  rode  up  to  the  officer  in  command:  "The 
Zouaves  are  to  retake  the  village  with  the  bayonet,"  he 
said. 

The  colonel  gave  the  order,  but  the  fire  was  so  heavy 
that  the  men  would  not  face  it.  Again  and  again  the 
officer  reiterated  the  order,  standing  exposed  on  the 
bank  in  front  of  his  men  to  give  them  confidence.  It 
was  in  vain,  and  the  colonel  looked  toward  Percy  with 
an  air  of  despair.  Percy  turned  his  horse  and  galloped 
back  to  the  general.  , 

"The  colonel  has  done  all  he  can,  sir,  but  the  men 
won't  advance." 

"The  fire  is  very  heavy,"  the  general  said,  "but  we 
must  have  the  village  back  again."  And  he  rode  off 
himself  to  the  battalion  of  Zouaves.  The  shot  and  shell 
were  flying  around  him,  but  he  sat  on  his  horse  as  im- 
movable as  if  at  a  review. 

"My  lads,"  he  said  in  a  loud,  clear  tone,  "generally 
the  difficulty  has  been  to  prevent  the  Zouaves  rushing 
to  an  attack.  Don't  let  it  be  said  that  a  French  general 
had  to  repeat  to  French  Zouaves  an  order  to  charge 
before  they  obeyed  him." 


THE  YOUNG  B'RANC-TIREURS.  ^69 

In  an  instant  the  Zouaves  were  on  their  feet,  and  with 
a  cheer  went  at  the  village.  The  Germans  in  possession 
fired  rapidly  as  the  French  approached,  and  then  hastily 
evacuated  it,  the  Zouaves  taking  possession  and  holding 
it  under  a  tremendous  fire. 

All  the  afternoon  the  battle  raged,  villages  being  taken 
and  retaken  several  times.  The  Germans,  however,  were 
gradually  gaining  ground.  Some  of  the  regiments  of 
Mobiles  had  quite  lost  all  order  and  discipline  and  their 
officers  in  vain  tried  to  persuade  them  to  hold  the  posi- 
tion in  which  they  were  placed.  Two  of  the  staff  officers 
were  killed,  three  others  wounded.  Percy  had  escaped 
almost  by  a  miracle.  Over  and  over  again  he  had 
carried  the  general's  orders  across  ground  swept  by  the 
enemies'  shot  and  shell.  A  horse  had  been  killed  under 
him,  but  he  had  not  received  even  a  scratch,  and  now 
mounted  upon  the  horse  of  one  of  the  officers  who  was 
killed  he  was  returning  from  carrying  an  order  across  a 
very  open  piece  of  ground  at  full  gallop.  Suddenly  he 
came  upon  a  sight  which,  hurried  as  he  was,  and  ex- 
posed as  was  the  position,  caused  him  instantly  to  draw 
his  rein,  and  come  to  a  full  stop.  There  in  the  open 
field  were  two  children — the  one  a  boy  of  six  or  seven 
years  old,  the  other  a  little  flaxen-haired  blue-eyed  girl 
of  five.     They  were  quietly  picking  flo-wers. 

"What  are  you  doing  here?"  Percy  asked  in  astonish- 
ment. He  spoke  in  French,  and  receiving  no  answer 
repeated  the  question  in  German. 

"What  are  you  doing  here?" 

"If  you  please,  sir,"  the  boy  answered,  "I  have  been 
out  in  the  wood  with  Lizzie  to  pick  flowers,  and  when  I 
came  back  there  was  a  great  fire  in  the  house,  and  a 
great  noise  all  round,  and  I  couldn't  find  father  and 
mother,  and  so  we  came  out  to  look  for  them." 

Percy  did  not  know  what  to  do.     It  was  too  pitiful  to 


170  TEE  YOUNG  FBANC-T1REURS. 

leave  the  poor  little  creatures  where  they  were,  and  yet 
he  could  not  carry  them  away.  He  had  no  doubt  that 
their  parents  were  hid  in  the  woods. 

"Look  here,"  he  said;  "if  I  take  Lizzy  upon  my  horse 
will  you  run  along  after  me?" 

"No,  no,"  the  little  girl  said  vehemently. 

There  was  no  time  for  parley. 

"Look  here,  do  you  see  those  soldiers  lying  down  in  a 
ditch?"  Percy  asked,  pointing  to  a  line  of  Mobiles  not 
fifty  yards  in  front.  The  children  nodded.  "Now  look 
here,  the  best  thing  you  can  possibly  do  is  to  play  at 
being  soldiers.  It  is  capital  fun;  you  lie  down  quite 
flat  in  that  ditch  and  throw  little  stones  over  the  bank. 
Don't  you  go  away;  don't  get  up  whatever  you  do,  and 
if  you  are  good  children  and  play  nicely,  I  will  send 
father  and  mother  to  you  if  I  can  find  them.  If  they 
don't  come  you  go  on  playing  at  soldiers  till  all  this 
noise  stops;  and  then,  when  it  is  quiet,  you  go  home 
and  wait  there  till  father  and  mother  come  back." 

The  children  were  delighted  with  the  idea,  and  threw 
themselves  flat  in  the  bottom  of  the  ditch,  and  Percy 
went  on  again  at  full  gallop.  The  French  were  now 
being  driven  back  toward  the  point  where  the  valley 
narrowed  again,  and  many  of  the  Mobiles  were  in  full 
flight.  General  Oambriels  therefore  withdrew  his  artil- 
lery to  a  point  where  they  could  cover  the  movements, 
and  then  ordered  a  rapid  retreat,  ten  regiments  of  line 
and  the  Zouaves  acting  as  rear  gnard.  It  was  already 
getting  dark,  and  the  movements  were  carried  out  with 
but  slight  loss.  The  Germans,  contented  with  their 
success,  attempted  no  movement  in  pursuit. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  URS.  171 


CHAPTER    XII. 

THE  SURPRISE. 

After  the  check  in  the  ,Vosges  General  Cambriels 
found  it  impossible  to  restore  sufficient  order  among  the 
Mobiles  to  enable  him  to  show  face  again  to  the  enemy. 
He  was,  besides,  in  want  of  many  articles  of  urgent 
necessity.  Half  his  force  were  shoeless,  and  the  thin 
blouses,  which  were,  as  has  been  said,  all  the  covering 
that  many  of  the  Mobiles  had,  were  ill  calculated  to 
resist  the  bitter  cold  which  was  already  setting  in.  Am- 
munition, too,  as  well  as  food,  was  short.  The  general 
determined,  therefore,  upon  falling  back  upon  Besangon, 
and  reorganizing  his  forces  there.  A  wound  in  his  head, 
too,  which  was  insufficiently  healed  when  he  took  the 
command,  had  now  broken  out  again,  and  his  surgeon 
ordered  absolute  repose  for  awhile. 

Upon  the  day  of  the  fight  Ralph  had  ridden  slowly  to 
the  rear  when  he  saw  that  the  fight  was  going  against 
the  French.  Hardened  as  he  was  by  his  work,  and  with 
an  excellent  constitution,  his  wound  never  for  a  moment 
assumed  a  troublesome  aspect;  but  at  the  end  of  a  week 
he  was  able,  keeping  it,  of  course,  in  a  sling,  to  mount 
his  horse  and  report  himself  ready  for  duty. 

The  headquarters  were  now  at  Besancon,  and  Ralph 
could,  had  he  applied  for  it,  have  obtained  leave  to  go 
to  Dijon;  but  he  had  not  done  so,  as  he  had  been  so 
lately  at  home,  and  he  thought  that  the  sight  of  his  arm 
in  a  sling  *  would  be  likely  to   make  his  mother  more 


1V2  THE  IOUJSQ  FRANC-T1REUBS. 

nervous  and  anxious  on  their  account,  than  before.  The 
Germans  were  still  at  some  distance  from  Besancon, 
being  watched  by  Colonel  Tempe  and  his  franc- tireurs 
and  by  their  regular  forces. 

A  considerable  army  was  now  fast  gathering  at  Besan- 
con, and  the  regimental .  and  superior  staff  officers  were 
hard  at  work  at  the  organization.  As  aids-de-camp  the 
boys  had  little  to  do,  and  therefore  requested  leave  for 
two  or  three  days  to  go  up  to  their  old  friends,  the 
franc-tireurs  of  Dijon.  The  general  at  once  granted  the 
required  permission,  adding  with  a  smile  : 

"  Don't  forget  you  are  officers  now,  lads,  and  get  into 
any  hair-brained  adventures,  you  know  ;  and  be  sure  you 
are  back  on  Thursday,  as  I  expect  Gerieral  Michel,  my 
successor,  to  arrive  on  Friday,  and  I  shall  have  to  give  you 
as  part  of  my  belongings." 

"  We  are  sure  to  be  back,  general."  And  so  they  set 
off,  taking,  as  usual,  Tim  Doyle  with  them  as  orderly  and 
servant. 

"  Faith,  and  I'm  glad  enough  to  be  out  in  the  open 
again,  Misther  Ralph,"  Tim  said,  as  they  left  Besancon 
behind.  "  After  living  out  in  the  woods  for  six  weeks, 
there  does  not  seem  room  to  breathe  in  a  crowded  town." 

"  It's  jolly  to  be  out  again,  Tim  ;  but  I  don't  know  that 
I  mind  a  town  again  for  a  few  days." 

"Ah,  it's  all  very  well  for  the  likes  of  yees,  Misther 
Ralph,  with  your  officer's  uniform,  and  your  arm  in  a 
sling,  and  the  girls  all  looking  at  you  as  a  hero,  but  for 
me  it's  different  intirely.  Out  in  the  open  I  feel  that, 
except  when  there's  anything  to  do  for  your  honors,  I 
am  my  own  master,  and  can  plase  myself.  Here  in  the 
town  I  am  a  common  hussar,  and  my  arm  is  just  weary 
with  saluting  to  all  the  fellows  with  a  sword  by  their 
side  that  I  meet  in  the  street.  Then  there's  no  chance 
of  any  fighting  as  long  as  we're  shut  up  in  Jthe  walls  of 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE UR8. 

&  town,  and  what's  the  use  of  being  decked  ap  in  uni- 
form except  to  fight?  Is  there  any  chance  of  just  the 
least  scrimmage  in  the  world  while  we  are  back  again 
with  the  boys?"  he  asked  persuasively. 

The  boys  laughed.  "Not  much,  Tim;  but  we  shall 
be  pretty  close  to  the  enemy,  and  something  may  turn 
up  at  any  moment.  But  surely  you've  had  enough  in 
the  last  six  weeks?" 

"Pretty  well,  Misther  Percy — pretty  well;  but,you  see, 
the  last  affair  didn't  count." 

"Oh,  didn't  it  count!"  Ealph  said,  looking  at  his 
arm.  "I  think  it  counted  for  two  or  three  fights;  and 
if  you  were  not  hit,  I  am  sure  you  were  fired  at  often 
enough  to  satisfy  the  most  desperate  lover  of  fighting, 
Tim." 

"I  was  fired  at  often,  enough,  I  dare  say,  Misther 
Ealph,  and  I  can't  say  that  I  liked  it  intirely.  It  isn't 
so  mighty  pleasant  sitting  like  a  stiff  statue  behind,  the 
general,  with  the  shells  falling  about  you  like  peas,  and 
not  allowed  the  divershun  of  a  single  shot  back  in 
return.  'Shoot  away,'  says  I,  'as  hard  as  you  like,  but 
let's  shoot  back  in  return.'  " 

The  boys  laughed,  and  the  day  passed  pleasantly  as 
they  rode  and  talked.  The  dusk  had  already  fallen 
when  they  reached  a  party  of  franc-tireurs.  It  was  not 
their  own  corps,  nor  could  the  officer  in  command  tell 
exactly  where  they  could  find  them. 

"We  are  scattered  over  a  considerable  extent  of  coun- 
try," he  said,  "and  the  colonel  alone  could  tell  you  how 
we  are  all  placed.  I  expect  that  he  will  be  here  to- 
night, and  your  best  plan  will  be  to  stay  here  till  he 
comes.  We  have  not  much  to  offer  you,  but,  such  as  it 
is,  it  is  at  your  service." 

After  a  moment's  consultation,  the  boys  agreed  to 
accept  the  offer,  as  they  had  palpably   more  chance  of 


174  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

meeting  Colonel  Tempe  there  than  in  a  journey  through 
the  woods  at  night,  and  in  another  ten  minutes  their 
horses  were  tied  to  trees,  and  they  were  sitting  by  a  blaz- 
ing fire  with  the  officers  of  franc-tireurs.  The  village 
only  consisted  of  three  or  four  houses,  and  as  there  were 
fifty  men  in  the  party  upon  which  they  had  come,  they 
bivouacked  under  the  trees  hard  by. 

"How  far  off  are  the  Germans?"  Ralph  asked,  when 
dinner  was  over,  and  they  lay  by  the  fire  smoking  cigars. 

"Ten  miles  or  so,"  the  officer  answered  carelessly. 

"No  chance  of  their  coming  this  way,  I  hope,"  Ealph 
laughed.  "We  were  very  nearly  caught  near  Saverne 
once." 

"So  I  heard,"  the  officer  said,  "but  I  am  rather  skep- 
tical as  to  these  night  surprises.  In  nine  cases  out  of 
ten — mind,  I  don't  mean  for  a  moment  that  it  was  so  in 
your  case — but  in  nine  cases  out  of  ten,  these  rumors  of 
night  attacks  are  all  moonshine." 

"Perhaps  so,"  Ralph  said  a  little  gravely,  for  he  had 
already  noticed  that  the  discipline  was  very  different 
among  these  men  than  that  to  which  he  had  been  accus- 
tomed among  the  franc-tireurs  of  Dijon,  "perhaps  so, 
but  we  can  hardly  be  too  careful.  How  do  you  all  like 
Colonel  Tempe?" 

"The  colonel  would  be  an  excellent  fellow  were  he 
not  our  colonel,"  the  officer  laughed.  "He  is  a  most 
unconscionable  man.  Forever  marching,  and  drilling, 
and  disciplining.  If  he  had  his  way  he  would  make  us 
like  a  regiment  of  line,  as  if  there  could  be  any  good  in 
carrying  out  all  that  sort  of  thing  with  franc-tireurs. 
He  had  about  half  us  together  for  three  or  four  days, 
and  I  give  you  my  word  it  was  as  bad  as  slavery.  Drill, 
drill,  drill,  from  morning  till  night.  I  was  heartily 
glad,  I  can  tell  you,  when  I  got  away  with  this  detach- 
ment." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  I  R8.  175 

Ralph  saw  that  his  new  acquaintance  was  one  of  that 
innumerable  class  who  conceived  that  drill  and  discipline 
were  absurdities,  and  that  it  was  only  necessary  for  a 
Frenchman  to  shoulder  a  gun  for  him  to  be  a  soldier;  so 
he  easily  avoided  argument  by  turning  the  subject.  For 
a  couple  of  hours  they  chatted,  and  then  as  the  fire  was 
burning  low,  and  the  men  had  already  lain  down  to 
sleep,  Ralph  suggested  that  they  should  do  the  same. 

"I  will  walk  round  the  sentries  first  with  you  if  you 
like,"  he  said. 

"Sentries!"  the  other  said  with  a  laugh,  "there  is  my 
sentry,"  and  he  pointed  to  a  man  standing  ten  paces  off 
leaning  against  a  tree.  "The  men  have  marched  all 
day;  they  only  came  in  an  hour  before  you  did,  and  I  am 
not  going  to  waste  their  strength  by  putting  half  of 
them  out  to  watch  the  forest.  No,  no,  I  am  no  advocate 
for  harassing  my  men." 

"Good-night,  then,"  Ralph  said  briefly,  and  he 
wrapped  himself  in  his  cloak  and  lay  down.  "We  are 
not  accustomed  to  this  sort  of  thing,  Percy,"  he  whis- 
pered to  his  brother  in  English,  "and  I  don't  like  it. 
No  wonder  our  franc-tireurs  do  so  badly  if  this  is  a  sam- 
ple of  their  discipline." 

"I  don't  like  it  either,  Ralph.  The  Prussians  are 
advancing,  and  if  that  fellow  last  heard  of  them  as  ten 
miles  off,  they  are  as  likely  as  not  to  be  only  two.  I 
shan't  be  sorry  when  morning  comes." 

"Nor  I  either,  Percy;  however,  here  we  are,  and  we 
have  no  authority  over  this  fellow,  so  we  must  make  the 
best  of  it  and  hope  that  for  once  folly  will  not  have  its 
just  reward." 

So  saying  the  boys  remained  silent  for  the  night.  But 
although  silent,  neither  of  them  slept  much.  Ralph 
especially,  whose  arm  was  still  very  sore,  and  at  times 
painful,  hardly  closed  his  eyes.     He  told  himself  it  was 


176  THE  YOUNG  FHANC-TIREURS. 

absurd,  but  he  could  not  help  listening  with  painful 
attention.  Had  the  night  been  a  quiet  one  he  need  not 
have  strained  his  ears,  for,  as  he  knew  from  the  many 
hours  he  had  passed  at  night  upon  guard,  the  hush  is  so 
intense  in  these  great  forests  that  one  can  hear  the  fall 
of  a  mountain  stream  miles  away,  and  the  snapping  of  a 
twig,  or  almost  the  falling  of  a  leaf,  will  catch  the  ear. 
The  night,  however,  was  windy,  and  the  rustle  of  the 
pine  forest  would  have  deadened  all  sound  except  any- 
thing sharp  and  near.  The  sentry  did  not  appear 
similarly  impressed  with  the  necessity  for  any  extraor 
dinary  attention;  he  was  principally  occupied  in  strug- 
ging  against  cold  and  drowsiness.  He  walked  up  and 
down,  he  stamped  his  foot,  hummed  snatches  of  songs, 
yawned  with  great  vigor,  and  so  managed  to  keep  awake 
for  two  hours  when  he  roused  the  next  for  duty,  and  lay 
down  with  a  grunt  of  relief. 

At  last,  after  keeping  awake  for  hours,  Ralph  dozed 
oh*.  How  long  he  slept  he  knew  not,  but  he  was  roused 
into  full  wakefulness  by  a  touch  on  the  shoulder,  and  by 
hearing  Tim  Doyle  whisper: 

"Hist,  Misther  Ralph,  I've  my  doubts  that  there  is 
something  wrong.  I  couldn't  sleep  in  this  camp  with- 
out watch  or  outposts,  and  for  the  last  quarter  of  an 
hour  I  fancy  I've  been  hearing  noises.  I  don't  know 
which  way  they  are  coming,  but  it  seems  to  me  they  are 
all  round  us.  I  may  be  wrong  sir,  but  as  sure  as  the 
piper " 

"Hush,  Tim,"  Ralph  said  to  the  Irishman,  who  had 
crawled  noiselessly  along,  and  had  lain  down  by  his  side. 
s'Percy,  are  you  awake?" 

"Yes,  I  woke  at  Tim's  whisper;  listen." 

They  did  listen,  and  distinctly  above  the  sighing  of 
the  wind  they  could  hear  a  rustling,  cracking  i  oise. 
Day  was  jusi;  breaking,  but  the  light  was  not  sumcumttj 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  177 

strong  to  show  objects  with  any  distinctness  among  the 
trees. 

"By  Jove,  we  are  surrounded, "  Percy  said,  and  was 
just  going  to  alarm  the  camp  when  the  sentry  started 
into  wakefulness,  challenged  and  fired. 

The  franc-tireurs  woke  and  leaped  to  their  feet. 
Percy  and  Tim  were  about  to  do  the  same  when  Ralph 
held  them  down,  "lie  still,"  he  said,  "for  your  lives." 

His  words  were  not  out  of  his  lips  when  a  tremendous 
volley  rang  out  all  round  them,  and  half  the  franc-tireurs 
fell.  ' 

"Now!"  Ralph  saM,  leaping  up,  "make  a  rush  for  a 
house.  To  the  houses,  all  of  you,"  he  shouted  loudly; 
"it  is  our  only  chance;  we  shall  be  shot  down  here 
like  sheep." 

The  officer  of  the  franc-tireurs  had  already  atoned  for 
his  carelessness  by  his  life,  and  the  men  obeyed  Ralph's 
call,  and  amid  a  heavy  fire  rushed  across  the  fifty  yards 
of  open  space  to  the  houses.  The  door  was  burst  in 
with  the  rush.  Ralph  had  not  stopped  at  the  first  house, 
but,  followed  by  his  brother  and  Tim  Dolye,  had  run 
further  on,  and  entered  the  last  house  in  the  village. 

"Why  did  you  not  go  in  with  the  others,  Ralph?  We 
have  no  chance  of  defending  ourselves  here;  we  have 
only  our  revolvers." 

"We  have  no  chance  of  defending  ourselves  any- 
where, Percy,"  Ralph  said;  "there  must  be  a  couple  of 
hundred  of  them  at  least,  and  not  above  fifteen  or  twenty 
at  most  of  the  franc-tireurs  gained  the  houses.  Resist- 
ance is  utterly  useless,  and  yet  had  I  been  with  those 
poor  fellows  I  could  not  have  told  them  to  surrender, 
when  they  would  probably  be  shot  five  minutes  after- 
ward. We  should  be  simply  throwing  away  our  lives 
without  doing  the  least  good." 

There  was  a  heavy  firing  now   heard,  and  a  moment 


178  TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

after  half  a  dozen  shots  were  fired  through  the  window. 
Then  there  was  a  rush  of  soldiers  toward  the  door  which 
Ealph  had  purposely  left  open. 

"We  surrender,"  Ealph  shouted  in  German,  coming 
forward  to  meet  them.     "We  are  French  officers." 

"Don't  fire,"  a  voice  said,  and  then  a  young  officer 
came  forward.  "You  are  not  franc-tireurs?"  he  asked, 
for  the  light  was  still  insufficient  to  enable  him  to  dis- 
tinguish uniforms. 

"We  are  officers  of  the  army  upon  General  Cambriers 
staff.  This  man  is  an  orderly.  Here  are  our  swords. 
We  surrender  as  prisoners  of  war." 

The  German  officer  bowed.  "Keep  your  swords  for 
the  present,  gentlemen,  I  am  not  in  command."  At 
this  moment  another  officer  came  up.  "Who  have  we 
here,  Von  Hersen?     Why  do  you  make  prisoners?" 

"They  are  two  staff  officers,  major." 

"Hem,"  said  the  major  doubtfully.  "Well,  if  you 
are  an  officer,"  he  continued,  "order  your  men  to  cease 
their  resistance." 

The  franc-tireurs,  most  of  whom  had  taken  refuge  in 
the  same  cottage,  were  still  defending  themselves 
desperately,  and  were  keeping  up  a  heavy  fire  from  the 
windows. 

"I  will  order  them  to  surrender  at  once,"  Ralph  said 
quietly,  "if  you  give  me  your  word  that  they  shall  be 
treated  as  prisoners  of  war. " 

"I  will  do  nothing  of  the  sort,  sir,"  the  German 
answered. 

"Then  I  shall  certainly  not  advise  them  to  surrender," 
Ralph  said  firmly.  "I  have  no  authority  whatever  over 
them,  but  if  I  give  advice  it  would  be  that  they  should 
sell  their  lives  as  dearly  as  possible."  * 

The  officer  swore  a  deep  German  oath  and  strode  off. 
For  five  more  minutes  the  fight   continued    round    the 


THE  YOUNG  FUA  NC-TTREURS.  179 

cottage,  many  of  the  Germans  falling,  then  a  rush  was 
made,  there  was  a  fierce  contest  inside  the  house,  shouts, 
shrieks,  cries  for  mercy,  and  then  all  was  still. 

The  young  Barclays  and  Tim  were  now  told  to  sit 
down  near  a  tree  at  a  short  distance  off,  with  two  sen- 
tries with  loaded  rifles  standing  over  them.  The  Ger- 
man soldiers  took  from  the  houses  what  few  articles  they 
fancied  and  then  set  fire  to  them,  sitting  down  and  eat- 
ing their  breakfast  as  the  flames  shot  up.  At  a  short 
distance  from  where  the  Barclays  were  sitting  was  a 
group  of  some  eight  or  ten  franc-tireurs  and  six  or  seven 
peasants,  guarded  by  some  soldiers.  Near  them  the 
German  major  and  two  lieutenants  were  talking.  One 
of  the  young  men  appeared  to  take  little  interest  in  the 
conversation,  but  the  others  were  evidently  urging  some 
point  with  great  earnestness,  and  the  major  was  equally 
plainly  refusing  their  requests,  for  he  stamped  his  foot 
angrily  and  shook  his  head. 

"What  a  type  that  major  is  of  the  brutal  species  of 
German,"  Ralph  said.  "One  used  to  meet  them  some- 
times. Their  officers  are  either  particularly  nice  fellows, 
mere  machines,  or  great  brutes;  apparently  we  have  a 
specimen  of  each  of  them  here." 

The  officers  passed  near  enough  for  the  Barclays  to 
catch  what  they  were  saying. 

The  young  lieutenant  was  very  pale.  "For  the  last 
time,  major,  I  implore  you." 

"For  the  last  time,  Lieutenant  von  Hersen,"  the 
major  said  brutally,  "I  order  you  to  do  your  duty,  and 
by  heavens,  if  you  speak  another  word  I  will  put  you  in 
arrest." 

The  young  lieutenant  turned  silently  away,  called  up 
twenty  men,  and  ordered  them  to  place  the  franc-tireurs 
and  the  peasants  against  a  waTl. 

"This  is  horrible,  Ralph,"  Percy  said.  "That  scoun- 
drel is  going  to  shoot  them  in  cold  blood." 


180  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

"I  protest  against  this  execution,"  Balph  said,  in  a 
loud  tone,  advancing  toward  the  major,  "as  a  cold- 
blooded murder,  and  a  violation  of  all  the  rights  of  war." 

"Hold  your  tongue,  sir,"  the  German  major  said, 
turning  to  him  furiously,  "or  by  heavens  I  will  put  you 
up  there,  too." 

"You  dare  not,"  Ralph  said  firmly.  "Outrage  as  you 
do  every  law  of  civilization  and  humanity,  you  dare  not 
shoot  an  officer  of  the  army  in  cold  blood." 

The  major  turned  black  with  passion. 

"By  heavens!"  he  exclaimed. 

But  the  officer  who  had  not  hitherto  interposed  threw 
himself  before  him. 

"Pardon  me,  major,"  he  said,  respectfully,  "but  the 
Frenchman  is  right.  It  would  bring  discredit  upon  the 
whole  army  to  touch  these  prisoners  of  war.  In  the 
other  matter  I  have  nothing  to  say.  The  order  has  been 
published  that  franc-tireurs  and  peasants  sheltering 
them  shall  be  shot,  and  it  is  not  for  me  to  discuss  orders 
but  to  obey  them;  but  this-  is  a  matter  affecting  all  our 
honors." 

The  major  stood  for  a  moment  irresolute,  but  he  knew 
well  that  the  German  military  authorities  would  punish, 
probably  with  death,  the  atrocity  which  he  meditated, 
and  he  said  hoarsely  to  some  of  the  men  near,  "Tie  their 
arms  behind  their  backs,  and  take  them  further  into  the 
wood." 

Ralph,  his  brother,  and  Tim  Doyle  were  hurried  into 
the  wood  by  their  guards;  but  strict  as  is  the  discipline 
of  the  German  army,  they  could  see  that  they  disap- 
proved in  the  highest  degree  of  the  conduct  of  their 
commanding  officer. 

They  were  still  near  enough  to  see  what  was  passing 
in  the  village.  Not  a  man  of  the  franc-tireurs  begged 
his  life,  but  stood  upright  against  the  wall.     Two  of  th8 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  181 

peasants  imitated  their  example,  as  did  a  boy  of  not  over 
thirteen  years  of  age.  Two  other  lads  of  the  same  age 
and  a  peasant  fell  on  their  knees  and  prayed  piteously 
for  life.  The  young  officer  turned  round  toward  the 
major  in  one  now  mute  appeal.     It  was  in  vain. 

"Put  your  rifles  within  a  foot  of  their  heads,"  the 
lieutenant  said.     "Fire!" 

When  the  smoke  cleared  away  the  soldiers  were  stand- 
ing alone,  and  the  peasants  and  franc-tireurs  lay  in  a 
confused  mass  on  the  ground. 

The  lieutenant  walked  up  to  the  major  with  a  steady 
step,  but  with  a  face  as  pale  as  ashes.  "I  have  done  my 
duty,  Major  Kolbach,  your  orders  are  obeyed."  Then 
without  another  word  he  drew  out  his  revolver,  put  it 
rapidly  to  his  temple  and  blew  out  his  brains.* 

Brutal  as  Major  Kolbach  was,  he  started  back  in 
horror  as  the  young  lieutenant  fell  dead  at  his  feet, 
while  a  cry  of  surprise  and  consternation  broke  from  the 
men.  The  major  did  not  say  a  word,  but  turned  away 
and  paced  up  and  down  with  disturbed  steps,  while  the 
other  lieutenant  bent  over  3  body  of  his  comrade,  and 
seeing  that  he  was  dead,  in  a  hushed  voice  ordered  the 
men  who  had  run  up  to  dig  a  grave  under  the  trees  and 
bring  him  there.  When  this  was  done  he  ordered  the 
men  to  fall  in,  placing  the  Barclays  and  Tim  in  their 
midst,  and  then  went  up  to  the  major  and  saluted, 
saying  coldly  that  the  men  were  ready  to  march.  The 
major  nodded,  signed  to  the  orderly  who  was  holding  his 
horse  to  approach,  vaulted  into  the  saddle  and  rode 
along  the  road  back  toward  the  main  body  of  the  army. 
The  lieutenant  gave  the  word  and  the  column  marched 
off,  leaving  behind  it  the  still  smoking  houses,  and  the 
still  warm  bodies  of  some  sixty  men. 

*  An  historical  fact. 


182  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

There  was  a  general  gloom  over  the  faces  of  the  men, 
and  no  one  could  suppose  from  their  air  that  they  were 
returning  from  a  sucessful  expedition  in  which  they  had 
annihilated  a  body  of  enemy  fifty  strong  with  the  loss  of 
only  five  or  six  of  their  own  men.  Discipline,  was,  how- 
ever, too  strict  for  a  word  of  blame  or  even  of  comment 
to  be  spoken,  and  not  a  sound  was  heard  but  the  heavy, 
measured  tramp  as  the  troops  marched  back  through  the 
forests.  The  major  rode  on  moodily  some  forty  or  fifty 
yards  ahead  of  the  main  body. 

They  had  not  gone  half  a  mile  before  there  was  a  shot 
fired  in  the  wood  close  to  the  road.  The  major  gave  a 
start  and  nearly  fell  from  his  horse,  then  recovered  him- 
self and  turned  to  ride  back  to  the  column  when  there 
was  another  shot,  and  he  fell  off  his  horse  heavily  to  the 
ground.  The  column  had  instinctively  halted,  and  the 
lieutenant  gave  the  word  "load."  A  shout  of  triumph 
was  heard  in  the  wood,  "Thirty-one!"  and  then  all  was 
still. 

"That's  the  old  fellow  who  saved  my  life  ten  days  ago, 
Percy,"  Ealph  said,  "and  by  Jove!  much  obliged  to  him 
as  I  was  then,  I  do  think  that  I  am  more  grateful  now." 

Finding  that  the  shots  were  not  repeated,  some  twenty 
or  thirty  skirmishers  were  sent  into  the  woods,  but  re- 
turned in  ten  minutes  without  finding  any  trace  of  the 
man  who  had  shot  the  major.  The  lieutenant  now  took 
the  command,  there  was  a  continuation  of  the  halt  for 
ten  minutes  while  the  major  was  hastily  buried  by  the 
Toadside,  a  rough  cross  being  put  up  to  mark  the  spot, 
and  a  deep  cross  cut  made  in  the  two  nearest  trees,  so 
that,  even  if  the  cross  were  overthrown  the  place  of  the 
"burial  might  be  found  afterward,  if  necessary.  Then 
the  corps  marched  on  again.  The  first  use  which  the 
lieutenant  made  of  his  authority,  even  before  giving 
directions  for  the  burial,  was  to  order  the  cords  of  the 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  183 

prisoners  to  be  cut.  Then  the  corps  continued  its  march, 
and  by  the  brightened  faces  of  the  men  it  could  be  seen 
easily  enough  how  unpopular  their  late  commander  had 
been,  and  that  they  cherished  but  slight  animosity 
against  the  slayer.  In  a  short  time  they  struck  up  one 
of  their  marching  songs,  and  prisoners  as  they  were,  the 
Barclays  could  not  but  admire  the  steady  martial  bearing 
of  the  men,  as  they  strode  along,  making  the  woods  echo 
with  the  deep  chorus.  In  three  hours'  march  they 
reached  the  village  which  the  troops  had  left  the  evening 
before  to  surprise  the  franc-tireurs,  having,  as  Ralph 
had  learned  from  the  lieutenant  in  command,  received 
information  from  a  spy  of  their  arrival  at  the  village,  late 
at  night,  and  having  started  at  once  under  his  guidance. 

Here  a  considerable  German  force  was  assembled.  The 
prisoners  were  not  unkindly  treated,  but  Tim  Doyle  was 
of  course  separated  from  them.  Some  astonishment  was 
expressed  at  their  youth,  but  it  was  assumed  that  they 
had  been  pupils  at  St.  Cyr  or  the  Polytechnic,  many  of 
whom  received  commissions,  owing  to  the  impossibility 
of  finding  officers  for  the  immense  new  levies.  Several 
of  the  officers  came  in  to  chat  with  them,  and  as  these 
had  been  also  engaged  in  the  fights  ten  days  before,  there 
were  many  questions  to  ask  upon  either  side.  The  boya 
learned  that  they  would  be  sent  on  next  day,  would  be 
marched  to  Luneville,  and  sent  thence  by  train. 

"They  are  a  fine  set  of  fellows/'  Ralph  said,  when  their 
last  visitor  had  left  them.  "Good  officers,  unquestion- 
ably; and  when  they  are  nice,  capital  fellows.  I  can't 
make  out  why  they  should  be  so  brutal  as  soldiers,  for 
they  are  undoubtedly  a  kindly  race." 

1  No  doubt,"  Percy  said,  but  he  was  thinking  of  other 
matters,  and  not  paying  much  attention  to  his  brother. 
"Do  you  think  we  have  any  chance  of  making  our  escape, 
Ralph?" 


184  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

"Ob,  we  shall  escape  fast  enough, "  Balph  answered 
confidently.  "With  our  knowledge  of  German,  and 
looking  so  young,  there  can  be  no  great  difficulty  about 
it  when  we  once  get  to  the  end  of  our  journey,  but  it's 
no  use  our  thinking  about  it  at  present;  we  shall  be  a 
good  deal  too  closely  looked  after.  I  only  hope  they  will 
send  us  to  Mayence  or  Coblentz,  and  not  to  one  of  the 
fortresses  at  the  other  end  of  Germany.  Mind,  we  must 
not  give  our  parole." 

The  next  day,  when  they  were  summoned  to  start,  they 
found  that  there  were  fifty  or  sixty  other  prisoners  who 
had  been  brought  in  from  other  directions.  Some  be- 
longed to  line  regiments,  but  the  greater  portion  by  far 
were  Mobiles,  who  in  the  retreat  of  General  Cambriel 
had  been  cut  off  or  left  behind,  and  after  hiding  in  the 
woods  for  some  days  were  being  gradually  found  and 
brought  in.  The  Barclays  were  the  only  officers.  They 
therefore  took  their  places  at  the  head  of  the  prisoners, 
who  formed  four  deep,  with  an  escort  of  Uhlans,  and  set 
off  on  their  march. 

It  was  four  days'  march;  the  weather  was  cold  and 
clear,  and  the  Barclays  were  but  little  fatigued  when 
they  marched  into  Luneville.  The  greater  part  of  the 
prisoners  were,  however,  in  a  pitiable  condition.  Some 
were  so  footsore  that  they  could  hardly  put  one  foot 
before  the  other,  others  tottered  with  fatigue,  and  the 
men  of  the  escort  frequently  used  the  flats  of  their  swords 
to  compel  them  to  keep  together. 

As  they  marched  through  the  streets  of  Luneville  the 
people  in  the  streets  uncovered,  and  the  women  waved 
their  hands  to  them,  and  pressed  forward  and  offered 
them  fruit  and  bread,  in  spite  of  the  orders  of  the  escort. 
They  were  taken  straight  to  the  railway  station,  where 
they  were  put  into  a  shed.  Ealph  and  Percy  had  gained 
the  good-will  of  the  sergeant  in  command  of  the  escort 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  URS.  185 

by  the  manner  in  which  they  had  aided  him,  by  inter- 
preting to  the  rest  of  the  prisoners,  and  by  doing  their 
best  to  cheer  them  up,  and  take  things  smooth;  and  they 
now  asked  him  to  request  the  officer  in  command  at  the 
railway  station  to  allow  them  to  walk  about  until  the 
train  started,  on  parole.  The  request  was,  upon  the 
favorable  report  of  the  sergeant,  granted  at  once,  and  they 
were  told  that  no  train  would  go  off  until  next  morning, 
and  that  they  might  sleep  in  the  town  if  they  chose. 
Thanking  the  officer  for  the  permission,  they  went  out 
of  the  station,  when  a  tall,  big-bearded  German  sergeant 
stopped  before  them. 

"Donner  wetter!"  he  exclaimed,  "so  here  you  are 
again!" 

The  boys  gave  a  little  start,  for  they  recognized  at 
once  the  sergeant  who  had  so  closely  questioned  them  in 
the  cabaret  upon  the  night  when  they  had  carried  off  and 
hung  the  schoolmaster.  Kalph  saw  at  once  the  impor- 
tance of  conciliating  the  man,  as  a  report  from  him  of  the 
circumstances  might  render  their  position  a  most  un- 
pleasant one,  and  even  in  the  event  of  nothing  worse 
coming  of  it,  would  almost  insure  their  captivity  in  some 
prison  upon  the  further  side  of  Prussia,  instead  of  at  one 
of  the  frontier  fortesses. 

"Ah,  sergeant,  how  are  you?"  he  said  gayly.  "It  is 
our  fate,  you  see,  to  be  made  prisoners.  You  were  very 
nearly  taking  us,  and  now  here  we  are." 

"A  nice  trick  you  played  me,"  the  sergeant  said 
surlily,  "with  your  woodcutters,  and  your  lame  brother 
and  your  sick  sister,  and  your  cask  of  beer.  I  got  a  nice 
reprimand  over  that  affair." 

"Come,  sergeant,"  Ralph  said,  laughing;  "let  bygones 
be  bygones.  All  is  fair  in  war,  you  know,  and  we  did 
not  touch  a  single  hair  of  any  of  your  men's  heads.  All 
we  wanted  was  the  schoolmaster.     It  would  not  do  you 


186  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

any  good  to  talk  about  it  now,  and  it  might  do  £S  harm. 
It's  quite  bad  enough  for  us  as  it  is.-" 

"You're  nice  boys,  you  are/'  the  sergeant  said,  with 
his  face  relaxing  into  a  smile.  "To  think  of  my  being 
taken  in  by  two  lads  like  you;  well,  you  did  it  well,  mon- 
strously well,  I  will  say,  for  you  never  flinched  an  eye- 
lash. So  you  are  officers  after  all.  I  never  suspected 
anything  about  it  till  three  hours  afterward,  when  we 
went  to  relieve  the  sentry,  and  found  him  lying  there 
tied  up  like  a  bundle.  We  couldn't  think  even  then 
what  it  meant,  for  you  had  made  no  attack,  and  it  wasn't 
till  morning  that  we  found  that  the  old  schoolmaster  had 
been  fetched  out  of  bed  and  carried  off  on  the  heads  of 
twenty  men.  Well,  it  was  well  done,  and  I  bear  you  no 
malice." 

"That's  right,  sergeant;  now  come  and  have  a  jug  of 
beer  with  us,  you  know  we  had  one  with  you  before. 
Don't  you  remember  we  drank  to  the  health  of  King 
William?  If  you  like,  you  shall  return  the  pledge,  by 
drinking  to  Napoleon." 

The  sergeant  laughed,  "I'll  do  that,"  he  said.  "You 
said,  if  you  remember,  when  I  proposed  the  king,  that 
you  did  not  wish  to  hear  of  his  death,  and  I  can  say  the 
same  for  your  Napoleon,  especially,"  he  added,  with  a 
chuckle,  "as  he's  our  prisoner." 

The  boys  went  into  a  cabaret  near  and  drank  a  glass  of 
beer  with  the  sergeant,  and  then,  saying  "Good-by"  very 
heartily,  left  him,  and  went  into  the  town,  well  pleased 
to  have  got  so  well  out  of  a  scrape  which  might  have 
been  a  very  unpleasant  one.  They  slept  at  an  hotel,  and 
were  down  at  the  station  at  the  appointed  time.  It  was 
a  long  journey,  thirty-six  hours,  to  Mayence.  But  the 
boys  were  too  pleased,  when  they  saw  the  line  that  the 
train  was  following,  to  have  cared  had  it  been  twice  as 
far.    The  difficulties  of  escape  from  the  western  fortresses 


1HE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  U1 

would  have  been  immense,  whereas  atMayence  they  were 
comparatively  close  to  the  frontier.  At  Mayence,  too, 
the  position  of  the  prisoners  was  comfortable.  They 
were  allowed  to  live  anywhere  in  the  town,  and  to  take 
their  meals  when  they  chose;  they  were  obliged  twice  a 
day  to  answer  at  the  muster-roll,  and  were  not,  of  course, 
allowed  to  go  outside  the  fortifications. 

The  one  drawback  to  the  position  of  the  French 
officers  was  the  utterly  insufficient  sum  which  the  Prus- 
sian government  allowed  them  for  board  and  lodging. 
Only  forty-five  francs  a  month — that  is  to  say,  fifteen 
pence  a  day.  It  is  needless  to  say  that  the  officers  who 
had  nothing  else  to  depend  upon  literally  starved  upon 
this  pittance,  which  was  the  more  inexcusable,  that  the 
French  government  allowed  more  than  twice  this  sum  to 
the  German  officers  who  were  taken  prisoners.  Upon 
this  head,  however,  the  boys  had  no  discomfort.  They 
had  plenty  of  money  in  their  pockets  for  present  uses, 
and  they  knew  that  they  could  obtain  further  supplies 
by  writing  home,  vid  Switzerland.  They  were,  there- 
fore, unaffectedly  glad  when  the  train  came  to  a  stop  at 
the  station  of  Mayence,  and  the  order  was  given  for  ail 
to  alight. 


>8h  TEE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREUR8. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

THE    ESCAPE. 

The  first  thing  that  the  Barclays  did,  after  reporting 
themselves,  was  to  settle  themselves  in  a  lodging,  no 
very  easy  thing  to  find,  for  the  town  was  crowded  with 
troops  and  prisoners.  However,  as  they  were  able  to  pay 
a  higher  sum  than  the  great  majority  of  French  officers 
in  their  position,  they  had  no  very  great  difficulty  in 
finding  a  place  to  suit  them.  The  rooms  were  purposely 
taken  in  a  large  house  with  a  staircase  common  to  a  num- 
ber of  families  living  on  different  floors,  so  that  any  one 
going  in  or  out  would  be  less  likely  to  be  noticed  than  in 
a  smaller  house.  They  were  also  careful  in  choosing 
rooms  so  placed  that  they  could  go  in  and  out  of  the 
door  on  to  the  staircase  without  being  noticed  by  the 
people  with  whom  they  lodged.  Ralph's  arm  was  now 
extremely  painful,  the  long  march  having  imflamed  the 
wound.  He  had,  therefore,  on  reporting  himself,  begged 
that  a  surgeon  might  attend  him,  and  had  also  asked,  as 
a  great  favor,  that  his  servant,  the  hussar  Doyle,  might 
be  allowed  to  remain  with  him,  stating  that  in  that  case 
he  would  pay  for  his  lodgings  and  provide  him  with  food. 
As  the  prison  in  which  the  private  soldiers  were  confined 
wa3  at  the  time  crowded,  the  request  was  complied  with. 

For  the  next  week  Ralph  suffered  greatly  with  his  arm, 
and  had  to  keep  his  room;  after  that  the  inflammation 
subsided,  and  in  another  fortnight  he  was  able  to  dis- 
pense, for  the  first  time  since  he  received  his  wound, 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  189 

with  a  sling.  In  the  meantime  he  had  made  the  ac- 
quaintance of  the  people  with  whom  he  lodged,  who  were 
very  kind  to  their  wounded  lodger,  and  whose  hearts  he 
completely  won  by  being  able  to  chat  to  them  in  their 
native  tongue  like  one  of  themselves.  The  family  con- 
sisted of  a  father,  who  was  away  all  day  at  the  railway 
station,  where  he  was  a  clerk,  the  mother,  a  garrulous 
old  woman,  and  a  daughter,  a  pretty  blue-eyed  girl  of 
about  Ralph's  age,  who  assisted  her  mother  to  wait  upon 
them.  She  had  a  lover  away  as  a  soldier  in  the  army  be- 
sieging Paris,  and  the  thought  that  he  might  be  wounded 
or  taken  prisoner  made  her  very  pitiful  to  the  young 
officers. 

Kaiph  Barclay  had  for  some  days  been  intending  to 
sound  her  as  to  her  willngness  to  aid  them,  when  she 
herself  began  it  one  day.  She  had  cleared  away  their 
dinner  and  was  standing,  as  she  often  did,  talking  with 
them,  when  she  lowered  her  voice,  so  as  not  to  be  over- 
heard by  her  mother  in  the  next  room: 

"I  wonder  you  don't  try  to  get  away.  Lots  of  French 
officers  have  done  so." 

"That  is  just  what  we  are  thinking  of,  Christine;  we 
have  only  been  waiting  till  my  arm  was  out  of  a  sling, 
and  we  want  you  to  help  us." 

"How  can  I  help  you?"  the  girl  asked. 

"In  the  first  place  you  can  buy  us  clothes;  it  would 
excite  suspicion  if  we  were  to  buy  them  ourselves.  Percy 
and  I  were  thinking  of  going  as  girls — not  pretty  girls, 
of  course,  like  you,  Christine — but  great  rough  peasant 
girls." 

Christine  laughed  and  colored.  "You  would  be  too 
tall,"  she  said. 

"We  should  be  rather  tall,"  Ralph  said  ruefully.  "We 
have  grown  so  horribly  in  the  last  few  months.  Still 
some  women  are  as  tall  as  we  are." 


X90  TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

"Yes,  some  women  are,"  Christine  said;  "but  men 
look  after  them  and  say,  'what,  big,  gawky  women!'  and 
you  don't  want  to  be  looked  after;  if  people  did  so,  they 
would  see  that  you  didn't  walk  one  bit  like  a  woman, 
and  that  your  shoulders  were  very  wide,  and  your  arms 
very  strong,  and— oh,  no!  it  wouldn't  do  at  all.  I  must 
think  it  over.  I  suppose  you  want  that  great  blue- 
coated  bear  to  go?"  and  she  nodded  at  Tim  Doyle,  who, 
not  being  able  to  speak  a  word  of  her  language,  was 
always  indulging  in  the  most  absurd  pantomime  of  love 
and  devotion,  causing  screams  of  laughter  to  the  merry 
German  girl. 

"Yes,  Tim  must  go,  too,  Christine." 

"Ha,  ha!"  laughed  the  girl.  "Fancy  him  as  a 
woman." 

"What  is  she  saying  about  me,  Misther  Percy?" 

"She  says  you  would  make  a  very  pretty  woman,  Tim." 

"'Tare  and  ages,  Misther  Percy,"  Tim  said,  taking  it 
quite  seriously.  "How  could  I  do  it  at  all?  I'd  have  to 
shave  off  all  my  beautiful  beard  and  mustaches,  and 
even  then  I  doubt  if  you  would  mistake  me  for  a  woman. " 

The  boys  screamed  with  laughter,  and  translated  the 
Irishman's  speech  to  Christine,  who  laughed  so  that 
her  mother  came  into  the  room. 

"Look  here,  children,"  she  said,  smiling,  "I  don't  want 
to  know  what  you  are  talking  about.  If  anything  of  any 
sort  happens  I  may  be  asked  questions,  and  I  don't  want 
to  have  to  tell  stories.  I  can't  help  hearing  if  you  leave 
the  door  open  and  laugh  so;  indeed  all  the  neighborhood 
might  hear  it,  so  please  shut  the  door  in  future." 

So  saying  she  again  went  back  to  her  work  in  the  next 
room.  "Good-by,  I'm  going,  too,"  Christine  said.  "I 
will  think  it  over  by  to-morrow  morning  and  tell  you 
what  you  are  to  do." 

The  next  morning  the  boys  were  very  anxious  to  hear 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  191 

Christine's  proposals,  for  although  they  had  quite  made 
up  their  minds  to  try  their  own  plan  if  hers  was  not 
feasible,  still  they  felt  that  with  her  knowledge  of  the 
country  she  was  likely  at  any  rate  to  give  them  good 
advice. 

Until  she  had  cleared  away  breakfast  Christine  said 
nothing;  then  she  took  out  her  knitting  and  sat  against 
the  window. 

"Now,"  she  began,  "I  will  tell  you  what  I  have 
thought  of.  It  would  be  easy  enough  if  it  was  not  for 
him.  He's  so  big  and  so  red,  and  he  doesn't  speak  Ger- 
man. Oh,  dear,  he's  very  tiresome,"  and  she  shook  her 
head  at  Tim,  who  smiled,  laid  his  hand  on  his  breaot, 
and  endeavored  to  look  affecting.     Christine  laughed. 

"The  only  thing  I  can  think  of  for  him  is  that  he  shall 
go  out  as  a  Jew  peddler,  with  one  of  their  broad  hats  and 
a  tray  of  little  trinkets.  He  might  pass  if  none  of  the 
soldiers  took  it  into  their  heads  to  buy." 

The  proposition  was  translated  to  Tim  Doyle.  "Is  it 
me,  your  honor,  me,  Tim  Doyle,  a  good  Catholic,  and 
come  of  honest  people,  that's  to  turn  myself  into  a  hay- 
thin  Jew?"  the  Irishman  burst  out  with  great  indigna- 
tion. "It  was  bad  enough  that  I  should  be  made  into  a 
woman,  but  a  haythin  Jew!  I  put  it  to  your  honors  it's 
nayther  sinsible  nor  dacent." 

The  boys  went  off  in  screams  of  laughter.  Christine 
laughed  for  a  moment,  too,  when  they  translated  Tim's 
speech  to  her,  and  then  looked  indignant  that  the  propo-* 
sition  which  had  cost  her  so  much  thought  should  be 
so  scornfully  rejected. 

Tim  saw  the  look,  and  at  once  went  on  persuasively, 
"Sure,  now,  darlint  Miss  Christine,  don't  be  angry  wid 
me  out  of  your  bright  blue  eyes!  But  is  it  raisonable — 
is  it  natural  to  ask  a  Christian  man  to  make  a  haythin 
Jew  of  himself?    Would  you  like  it  yourself?" 


192  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

When  the  boys  could  stop  laughing  they  translated 
Tina's  appeal. 

"Did  you  ever  see  such  an  absurd  man?"  she  said, 
laughing.  "As  if  it  could  make  any  difference  to  his 
religion.  Tell  him  I  am  a  good  Catholic  too,  but  I 
should  not  mind  dressing  up  as  a  Jewess." 

"Sure,  thin,  darlint,"  Tim  exclaimed,  when  her  speech 
was  translated,  "I  will  go  as  a  Jew  directly,  if  you'll  go 
with  me  and  be  my  Jewess." 

Christine  laughed,  blu-shed,  shook  her  head,  and  said: 
"Nonsense!"  upon  hearing  Tim?s  proposition. 

"But  seriously,  Christine,"  Ralph  said,  "the  objection 
which  you  mention  to  the  Jew  peddler's  disguise  is  im- 
portant. Full  as  the  streets  are  of  soldiers  looking 
about,  he  could  hardly  hope  to  go  from  here  through  the 
streets  and  out  at  the  gate  without  some  one  asking  him 
about  the  contents  of  his  box." 

Christine  allowed,  a  little  pettishly  at  the  failure  of 
her  plan,  that  it  certainly  was  likely. 

"The  real  difficulty  is  to  get  outside  the  gate,"  Ralph 
said  thoughtfully.     "After  that  I  should  have  no  fear," 

"What  are  you  thinking  of  doing,  then?"  Christine 
asked. 

"I  was  thinking  of  dressing  Percy  and  myself  in  the 
clothes  of  young  peasants,  and  putting  Tim  into  some- 
thing of  the  same  sort,  with  a  great  bandage  round  his 
face.  Then  I  should  say  that  we  were  two  lads  from 
some  place  near  the  frontier  who  had  come  here  to  meet 
our  uncle,  who  had  had  his  jaw  shattered  in  battle. 
That  would  explain  Tim's  not  being  able  to  talk  at  all, 
and  as  to  looks,  he  is  red  enough  for  a  German  any-  * 
where." 

"Yes,"  Christine  said,  "that  would  do  very  well;  but 
of  course  you  would  be  liable  to  he  asked  for  papers." 

"Of  course,"  Ralph  said.  "But  we  must  risk  some- 
thing." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  193 

eil  have  an  idea/'  Christine  said  suddenly,  clapping 
her  hands.  "I  have  some  cousins  living  at  Wiesbaden. 
These  are  three  boys,  and  I  am  sure  they  would  do  any- 
thing for  me.  I  will  go  out  to  Wiesbaden  to-morrow  and 
ask  them  to  lend  me  their  papers  just  for  one  day. 
Wiesbaden  is  not  your  way  at  all,  but  for  that  very  reason 
you  would  get  out  more  easily  there,  and  be  less  likely 
to  be  suspected  or  followed.  You  could  cross  the  Rhine 
somewhere  near  St.  Goar.  I  shall  have  to  tell  some  sad 
stories  to  my  cousins,  and  coax  them  a  great  deal;  still,  I 
dare  say  I  shall  succeed,  and  then  you  can  go  boldly 
across  the  bridge  and  into  the  railway  station,  and  take 
a  ticket  for  Wiesbaden.  You  can  have  an  envelope 
ready  directed,  and  put  the  papers  into  the  post  there." 

"The  very  thing,  Christine.  You  are  a  darling!" 
Ralph  exclaimed,  catching  her  by  the  waist,  and  kissing 
her  before  she  had  time  to  think  of  resistance. 

"I  shan't  do  anything  at  all  for  you,"  Christine  said, 
laughing  and  blushing,  "if  you  misbehave  in  that  way." 

"I  couldn't  help  it,  Christine,  not  even  if  your  mother 
had  been  looking  on.     And  now  about  our  clothes." 

"I  couldn't  buy  them."  Christine  said.  "I  never 
could  go  into  a  shop  and  buy  men's  clothes." 

The  thing  was  so  evident  that  for  a  moment  the  boys' 
looks  fell.  Then  Christine  said,  coloring  very  much, 
"There  is  a  box  in  my  room  of  Karl's  things.  He  is  my 
cousin,  you  know,  and  he  was  working  as  a  gardener 
here  till  he  had  to  go  out  in  the  Landwehr,  so  of  course 
he  left  his  things  here  for  us  to  take  care  of.  He  is  about 
your  size.  I  will  take  out  one  suit.  It  won't  hurt  it, 
and  you  can  put  it  on  and  go  out  into  the  town,  and  buy 
the  things  for  all  three  of  you." 

"Capital!"  the  boys  exclaimed.  "It  couldn't  be 
better." 

Ten  minutes  afterward  Ralph  went  down  the  stairs  and 


194  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUMS. 

out  into  the  street  dressed  as  a  German  laborer  in  his 
best  suit.  He  was  a  little  uneasy  at  first,  but  no  one 
noticed  him,  and  he  was  soon  in  a  shop  haggling  over 
the  price  of  a  peasant's  coat,  as  if  the  matter  of  a  thaler 
one  way  or  other  was  a  thing  of  vital  importance  to  him. 
He  bought  the  three  suits  at  three  different  shops,  as  he 
thought  that  it  would  look  suspicious  if  he  were  to  get 
them  all  at  the  same,  and  in  an  hour  was  back  again. 

An  hour  afterward  Christine  started  for  Wiesbaden. 

The  Barclays  had  reason  to  congratulate  themselves 
that  they  had  not  longer  deferred  their  preparations  for 
escape,  for  when  presenting  themselves  as  usual  that 
afternoon  at  the  roll  call  they  were  told  that  they  must 
hold  themselves  in  readiness  to  leave  for  one  of  the  east- 
ern fortresses  upon  the  following  evening,  as  another 
large  batch  of  prisoners  from  Metz  were  expected  to 
arrive  upon  the  following  day. 

In  the  evening  Christine  returned  from  Wiesbaden, 
which  is  distant  only  a  quarter  of  an  hour  by  rail  from 
Mayence. 

"1  have  got  them,"  she  said,  "but  if  you  only  knew 
the  trouble  I  have  had!  What  a  bother  boys  are,  to  be 
sure!" 

"Especially  cousins — eh,  Christine?" 

"Especially  cousins,"  Christine  said  demurely.  After 
thanking  her  very  warmly  for  her  kindness,  the  Barclays 
started  out  and  bought  a  variety  of  things  which  they 
thought  might  be  useful.  They  also  bought  a  pretty 
gold  watch  and  chain  to  give  to  Christine  as  a  parting 
present. 

The  next  morning  they  answered  as  usual  to  their 
early  roll  call,  and  then  returning  at  once  to  their  lodg- 
ings, changed  their  clothes  for  those  which  Ralph  had 
purchased.  It  was  agreed  that  they  should  not  say 
good-by  to  Christine's  mother,  in  order  that,  whatever 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  195 

she  might  suspect,  she  might  be  able  to  say  that  she 
knew  nothing  of  any  idea  on  the  part  of  her  lodgers  to 
make  their  escape.  Then  Christine  herself  came  in  to 
say  good-by,  and  went  half -wild  with  delight  at  the 
present;  then  she  said  good-by,  kissed  the  boys  without 
any  affectation  of  objecting  to  it,  and  then  went  to  a 
window  to  watch  if  they  went  safely  down  the  street. 

The  boys  had  no  uneasiness  whatever  upon  their  own 
account,  for  they  had  before  passed  so  easily  among  the 
Prussian  troops  that  they  felt  quite  confident  in  their 
disguise,  but  they  were  uncomfortable  as  to  Tim,  whose 
inability  to  answer  questions  would  have  at  once  betrayed 
them  had  any  one  addressed  him.  They  had  not  ven- 
tured to  bandage  up  his  face  as  if  wounded,  as  he  would 
have  naturally  in  that  case  had  a  military  pass.  As  the 
best  thing  they  could  think  of,  they  had  shoved  a  large 
lump  of  cotton  into  one  of  his  cheeks,  which  gave  him 
the  appearance  of  having  a  swelled  face,  and  had  in- 
structed him  to  frequently  put  his  hand  up  to  it  as  if  in 
great  pain.  Tim  had  plenty  of  shrewdness,  and  acted 
his  part  admirably.  They  passed  across  the  bridge  of 
boats  without  question,  and  into  the  railway  station, 
which  is  just  opposite  its  end.  Here  soldiers  and  other 
officials  swarmed,  but  the  three  walked  along  carelessly, 
the  two  boys  chatting  together  in  German,  Tim  walking 
with  his  hand  up  to  his  face,  and  giving  an  occasional 
stamp  of  pain.  He  sat  down  with  Percy  on  a  seat  in  the 
station,  while  Ralph  went  to  the  little  window  where 
tickets  were  being  delivered.  There  were  a  good  many 
people  waiting,  and  when  it  came  to  Kalph's  turn,  and 
he  put  the  papers  in  at  the  window  and  asked  for  three 
third-class  tickets  to  Wiesbaden,  the  clerk  scarcely 
glanced  at  them,  but  handed  the  tickets  over  without  a 
question. 

They  then  went  into  the  third-class  waiting-room  and 


196  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  ORS. 

sat  down.  There  were  a  good  many  peasants  and  others 
there;  and  when  the  doors  opened  for  them  to  go  on  to 
the  platform  and  enter  the  carriages,  they  saw  it  was 
hopeless  to  try  and  get  a  carriage  to  themselves.  They 
did,  therefore,  the  best  they  could,  putting  Tim  next  to 
the  window,  while  Percy  sat  next  to  and  Ralph  opposite 
to  him.  The  rest  of  the  compartment  was  filled  with 
country  people. 

"He  seems  in  great  pain,"  a  good-natured  peasant 
woman  said  to  Ralph,  as  Tim  rocked  himself  backward 
and  forward  in  his  anguish. 

"Yes,  he  is  very  bad,"  Ralph  said. 

"Toothache?"  asked  the  woman. 

"Worse  than  that,"  Ralph  said  gravely;  "an  abscess 
in  the  jaw.     He  has  just  been  to  the  hospital." 

"Poor  fellow!"  the  woman  said.  "Why  does  he  not 
poultice  it?  I  should  advise  you  to  poultice,"  she  said, 
addressing  Tim. 

Tim  gave  a  grunt,  which  might  have  meant  anything, 
and  Ralph  said  in  a  whisper,  "Don't  talk  to  him.  Poor 
uncle,  he  is  so  bad-tempered  now,  it  puts  him  in  a  rage 
if  any  one  speaks  to  him,  because  it  hurts  him  so  to 
answer.  At  ordinary  times  he  is  very  good-tempered, 
but  now,  oh!" — and  Ralph,  made  a  little  pantomime  to 
express  the  extreme  badness  of  Tim's  temper. 

"You  are  not  of  Wiesbaden,  are  you?"  the  woman 
asked.     "I  do  not  know  you  by  sight." 

"No,"  Ralph  said;  "we  are  from  Holzhausen,  a  village 
some  eight  miles  upon  the  other  side  of  Wiesbaden." 

"Ah!"  the  woman  said,  "I  have  a  sister  living  there; 
surely  you  must  know  her.  She  is  the  wife  of  Klop- 
stock,  the  carpenter." 

"Surely,"  Ralph  said;  "she  is  my  neighbor;  every  one 
knows  her.     She  is  very  like  you." 

"Well,  now,  you  are  the  first  person  who  has  ever  said 


TEE  YOUNG  FHANG-TIBEUR8.  197 

jhat,"  the  woman  said,  surprised.  "I  am  so  short,  and 
&he  is  so  tall." 

"Yes,  she  is  tall — very  tall,"  Ealph  said  very  gravely;" 
"but  there  is  something  about  the  expression  of  your 
eyes  which  reminds  me  of  Mrs.  Klopstock.  Yes,  the 
more  I  look  at  you  the  more  I  see  it,"  and  Ralph  looked 
so  earnestly  at  the  woman  that  Percy  had  the  greatest 
difficulty  in  preventing  himself  going  off  into  a  shout  of 
laughter.  "I  wonder  I  have  never  seen  you  at  Holz- 
hausen,"  Ealph  continued. 

"Well,"  the  woman  said,  "it  is  years  since  I  have  been 
there.  You  see,  it  is  a  long  way,  and  my  sister  often 
comes  into  Wiesbaden,  and  I  see  her;  but  in  truth  her 
husband  and  I  don't  get  on  very  well  together.  You 
know  his  temper  is — "  and  she  lifted  up  her  hands. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  Ralph  said;  "his  temper  is,  as  you  say, 
terrible.  Between  ourselves,  it  is  so  well  known  that  we 
have  a  saying,  'As  bad-tempered  as  Klopstock,  the  car- 
penter;' one  can't  say  more  than  that;  but  we  are  at 
Wiesbaden.     Good-morning." 

"Good-morning.  I  hope  your  uncle's  tooth  will  be 
better  ere  long." 

"I  hope  so,  indeed,  for  all  our  sakes,"  Ralph  said. 
"He  is  as  bad  as  Klopstock  at  present."' 

So  saying  they  got  out  of  the  train,  and  walked  into 
the  town.  When  they  had  separated  from  the  crowd, 
Percy  could  restrain  himself  no  longer,  and  went  off 
into  a  scream  of  laughter. 

"What  is  it,  Misther  Percy?"  Tim  asked,  opening  his 
lips  for  the  first  time  since  they  had  left  the  house. 

"Oh,  Tim,  if  you  had  but  heard!"  Percy  said,  when 
he  recovered  his  voice.  "Do  you  know  you  are  as  bad- 
tempered  as  Klopstock,  the  carpenter?" 

"Sure  and  I  never  heard  tell  of  him,  Misther  Percy; 
and  if  I  have  been  bad-tempered,  I  haven't  said  much 


198  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRETTttS. 

about  it;  and  if  the  carpenter  had  a  wad  of  cotton  as 
big  as  a  cricket  ball  in  one  cheek  as  I  'have,  it's  small 
blame  to  him  if  he  was  out  of  temper." 

Both  the  boys    laughed  this  time,  and  then   Ral] 
explained  the  whole  matter  to  Tim,  who  laughed  mqre 
heartily  than  either  of  them.  / 

"Which  way  shall  we  go,  Ralph?"  / 

"I  looked  at  the  map  the  last  thing  before  starting, 
Percy,  and  I  noticed  that  the  road  went  out  past  the 
gambling  place.  I  dare  not  take  out  the  map  again  to 
look  at  the  plan  of  the  town;  it  would  look  too  suspi- 
cious, so  let  us  wander  about  till  we  find  the  place.  It 
has  large  grounds,  so  we  cannot  miss  it." 

They  were  not  long  in  finding  the  place  they  were 
looking  for.  There  was  no  mistaking  it,  with  its  long 
arcades  leading  up  to  the  handsome  conversation  rooms, 
its  piece  of  water,  and  its  beautifully  laid  out  grounds. 

"I  should  like  to  go  and  have  a  look  at  it,"  Percy 
said;  "I  can  hear  the  band  playing  now." 

"So  should  I,"  Ralph  said,  "but  time  is  too  precious. 
They  will  find  out  at  the  muster  this  afternoon  that  we 
are  missing,  and  as  we  answered  this  morning,  they  will 
know  that  we  cannot  have  got  far.  We  had  better  put 
as  many  miles  between  us  as  we  can.  First  of  all, 
though,  let  us  put  those  papers  Christine  got  us  into  the 
envelope,  and  drop  them  into  that  post-box.  We  should 
not  do  badly  either  to  buy  three  dark-colored  blankets 
before  we  start.  It  is  terribly  cold,  and  we  shall  want 
them  at  night." 

They  therefore  turned  up  into  the  town  again,  and 
then  Ralph  separated  from  the  others  and  went  in  and 
bought  the  blankets.  Ten  minutes  later  they  were 
walking  along  at  a  steady  pace  from  the  town.  Each 
carried  a  stick;  the  boys  carried  theirs  upon  their  shoul- 
der, with  a  bundle  containing  a  change  of  clothes,  and 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  199 

other  articles  slung  upon  it.  Tim  carried  his  bundle  in 
one  hand,  and  walked  using  his  stick  in  the  other. 
When  a  short  distance  out  of  the  town  they  stopped  in 
&  retired  place,  and  put  some  strips  of  plaster  upon 
Tim's  cheeks,  and  wrapped  up  his  face  with  a  white 
bandage.  It  was,  as  he  said,  "mighty  uncomfortable, " 
but  as  he  was  now  able  to  dispense  with  the  ball  of 
cotton  in  his  mouth  he  did  not  so  much  mind  it. 

The  day  was  bitterly  cold,  for  it  was  now  the  begin- 
ning of  the  second  week  of  November,  but  the  party 
strode  on,  full  of  the  consciousness  of  freedom.  They 
met  but  few  people  upon  their  way,  and  merely  ex- 
changed a  brief  good-day  with  those  they  did  meet. 
They  had  brought  some  bread  and  cold  meat  with  them 
from  Mayence,  and  therefore  had  no  need  to  go  into  any 
shops  at  the  villages  they  passed.  They  did  not  dare  to 
sleep  in  a  house,  as  it  was  certain  that  some  official 
would  inquire  for  their  papers,  and  therefore  when  it 
became  dark  they  turned  off  from  a  road  and  made  for  a 
wood  at  a  short  distance  from  it.  Here  they  ate  their 
supper,  laid  a  blanket  on  the  ground,  put  the  bundles 
down  for  pillows,  and  lay  down  close  together,  putting 
the  other  two  blankets  over  them. 

"It's  mighty  cold,"  Tim  said,  "but  we  might  be 
worse." 

"It's  better  than  a  prison  in  Pomerania,  by  a  long 
way,"  Ralph  answered.  "By  the  look  of  the  sky  and 
the  dropping  of  the  wind,  I  think  we  shall  have  snow 
before  morning." 

At  daybreak  next  morning  they  were  up,  but  it  was 
some  little  time  before  they  could  start,  so  stiffened  were 
their  limbs  with  the  cold.  Ralph's  prognostication  as 
to  the  weather  had  turned  out  right,  and  a  white  coat- 
ing of  snow  lay  over  the  country.  They  now  set  off, 
and  walked   for  an  hour,  when  they  arrived  at  a  large 


200  THE  TOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

village.  Here  it  was  agreed  they  should  go  in  and  buy 
something  to  eat.  They  entered  the  ale-house,  and/ 
called  for  bread,  cheese,  and  beer.  The  landlord  brough/ 
it,  and,  as  they  expected,  entered  into  conversation  witl 
them.  After  the  first  remarks  on  the  sharpness  of  tl/e 
weather,  Ealph  produced  a  tin  of  portable  soUp,  aid 
asked  the  landlord  if  he  would  have  it  heated  for  th^ir 
uncle. 

"He  cannot,  as  you  see,  eat  solid  food,"  Ealph  said, 
"he  had  his  jaw  broken  by  a  shell  at  Worth." 

"Poor  fellow!"  the  landlord  said,  hastening  away  with 
the  soup.  "Are  you  going  far?"  he  asked  on  his 
return. 

"To  St.  Goar,"  Ralph  said. 

"But  why  does  he  walk?"  the  landlord  asked;  "he 
could  have  been  sent  home  by  train." 

"Of  course  he  could,"  Ealph  said.  "We  walked  over 
to  see  him,  and  intended  to  have  walked  back  again, 
but  when  the  time  came  for  us  to  start,  he  said  he  would 
come,  too.  The  surgeon  said  he  was  not  fit  to  go. 
Uncle  had  made  up  his  mind  to  be  off,  and  as  the  surgeon 
would  not  give  him  an  order,  he  started  to  walk.  He 
says  it  does  not  hurt  him  so  much  as  the  jolting  of  the 
train,  and  we  shall  be  home  to  breakfast." 

An  hour  later  they  arrived  at  St.  Goarshaus.  They 
were  now  quite  out  of  the  track  which  prisoners  escap- 
ing from  Mayence  would  be  likely  to  take,  and  had  not 
the  slightest  difficulty  in  getting  a  boat  to  cross  the  Ehine. 

"How  beautiful  the  river  is  here,"  Percy  said. 

"Yes,  it  is,  indeed,"  Ealph  answered,  "I  believe  that 
this  is  considered  one  of  the  most  lovely  spots  on  the 
whole  river.  I  can't  say  that  I  think  that  that  railway 
opposite  improves  it." 

They  landed  at  St.  Goar,  and  tramped  gaily  on  to 
Castellan,  and  slept  in  a  barn  near  that  village. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  URS.  201 

The  next  morning  they  were  off  before  daybreak,  and 
eight  miles  further  crossed  the  Moselle  at  Zell.  They 
left  the  road  before  they  arrived  at  Alf,  for  they  were 
now  approaching  the  great  road  between  Coblentz  and 
the  south,  and  might  come  upon  bodies  of  troops  upon 
the  march  or  halting,  and  might  be  asked  troublesome 
questions.  They  therefore  struck  upon  a  country  lane, 
and  keeping  among  the  hills  crossed  the  main  road 
between  Bertrich  and  Wittlech,  and  slept  in  a  copse  near 
Dudeldf.  They  had  walked  thirty-five  miles  and  were 
so  dead  beat  that  even  the  cold  did  not  keep  them 
awake.  Next  morning  they  got  a  fresh  supply  of  bread 
and  cheese  at  a  tiny  village  between  Dudeldf  and  Bitt- 
burg,  and  leaving  the  latter  place  to  the  left,  made 
straight  for  the  frontier  across  the  hills.  The  road  to 
the  frontier  ran  through  Bittburg,  but  they  were  afraid 
of  keeping  to  it,  as  there  were  sure  to  be  troops  at  the 
frontier.  Several  times  they  lost  their  way,  but  the 
pocket  compass  and  map  which  they  had  brought  with 
them  stood  them  in  good  stead,  and  late  in  the  evening 
they  arrived  at  the  stream  which  forms  the  frontier.  It 
was  fortunately  very  low,  for  the  cold  had  frozen  up  its 
sources;  they  had  therefore  little  difficulty  in  crossing, 
and,  tired  as  they  were,  gave  a  cheer  upon  finding  them- 
selves in  Luxembourg. 

They  tramped  along  merrily  until  they  came  to  a  cot- 
tage, where  they  boldly  entered,  and  were  received  with 
the  greatest  kindness  and  hospitality.  The  Luxembourg 
people  at  once  feared  and  hated  Prussia,  and  were 
delighted  to  do  anything  in  their  power  for  the  escaped 
prisoners.  The  peasant  made  a  blazing  fire,  and  some 
hot  coffee,  and  the  tired  travelers  felt  what  a  blessing  it 
was  to  sit  down  without  listening  every  moment  for  the 
step  of  an  enemy.  The  peasants  told  them,  however,  that 
they  were  not  yet  altogether  safe,  for  that  owing  to  the 


202  THE  YOUNG  FUANC-TIREUR8> 

complaints  of  Prussia,  both  the  Dutch  and  Belgian  gov- 
ernments were  arresting  and  detaining  escaped  prisoners 
passing  through  their  territories.  After  some  discussion 
the  boys  agreed  that  next  morning  they  should  dress 
themselves  in  the  change  of  clothes  they  had  brought, 
which  were  ordinary  shooting  suits,  and  should  leave 
their  other  clothes  behind,  and  then  walk  as  far  as  Spa, 
twenty  miles  to  the  north.  They  would  excite  no  sus- 
picion in  the  minds  of  any  one  who  saw  them  arrive,  as 
they  would  merely  be  taken  for  three  Englishmen  stay- 
ing at  one  of  the  numerous  hotels  there  returning  from 
a  walk.  Their  feet,  however,  were  so  much  swollen  the 
next  morning  that  they  were  glad  to  remain  another  day 
quiet  in  the  cottage,  and  the  following  day  they  started 
and  walked  gayly  into  Spa. 

After  strolling  about  the  place  some  time  they  went 
to  the  railway  station  at  the  time  the  evening  train 
started  for  Brussels,  asked  for  tickets  in  very  English 
French,  and  at  eleven  o'clock  at  night  entered  Brussels. 
Here  their  troubles  were  over.  A  good  night's  rest  in  a 
good  hotel  completely  set  them  up  again,  and  the  next 
morning  they  left  by  train  for  Dunkirk.  There  they 
reported  themselves  to  the  French  officer  in  command, 
and  received  permission  to  go  on  board  a  government 
steamer,  which  was  to  leave  the  next  morning  for 
Cherbourg. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANQ-TIUEUR&  203 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A   PERILOUS   EXPEDITION". 

Upon  the  11th  of  November  the  boys  arrived  at 
Tours.  They  had  started  for  that  place  as  the  national 
headquarters,  the  moment  they  arrived  at  Cherbourg. 
At  Tours  men's  hopes  were  high,  for  a  week  before 
Aurelles  de  Paladine  had  driven  back  Von  der  Tann,  and 
reoccupied  Orleans.  Every  hour  fresh  troops  were 
arriving  and  passing  forward.  The  town  was  literally 
thronged  with  soldiers  of  all  sorts,  batteries  of  artillery, 
regiments  of  cavalry,  squadrons  of  Arab  Spahis  looking 
strangely  out  of  place  in  their  white  robes  and  unmoved 
countenances  in  this  scene  of  European  warfare,  franc- 
tireurs  in  every  possible  variety  of  absurd  and  unsuitable 
uniform.  In  all  this  din  and  confusion  the  young  Bar- 
clays felt  quite  bewildered.  The  first  thing  was  evi- 
dently to  get  new  uniforms,  then  to  report  themselves. 
There  was  no  difficulty  about  the  former  matter,  for 
every  tailor  in  Tours  had  for  the  time  being  turned 
military  outfitter,  and  by  dint  of  offering  to  pay  extra, 
their  uniforms  were  promised  for  the  next  morning. 
That  matter  settled,  they  determined  to  go  at  once  to 
the  prefecture  and  report  themselves.  As  they  turned 
out  of  the  crowded  Rue  Royal,  they  received  two  hearty 
slaps  on  the  shoulder  which  almost  knocked  them  down, 
while  a  hearty  voice  exclaimed,  "My  dear  boys,  I  am 
glad  to  see  you." 

They  looked  round,  and  to  their  astonishment  and 


204  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

delight  saw  Colonel  Tempe.  For  a  minute  or  two  the 
hand-shakings  and  greetings  were  so  hearty  that  no 
questions  r.ould  be  askedo 

"I  thought  a  German  prison  would  not  hold  you  long, 
boys,"  the  colonel  said.  "I  saw  your  father  as  I  came 
through  Dijon,  and  I  said  to  him  that  I  should  be  sur» 
prised  if  you  did  not  turn  up  soon,  especially  when  I 
heard  from  him  that  you  were  at  Mayence,  only  two 
days'  tramp  from  the  frontier." 

"But  what  are  you  doing  here,  colonel?" 
-"Just  at  present  I  am  working  at  headquarters.  Be- 
tween ourselves,  the  army  of  the  east  is  coming  round 
to  join  Aurelles.  Our  poor  fellows  were  pretty  nearly 
used  up,  and  I  found  that  I  could  do  little  real  good 
with  the  other  corps.  So  I  gave  up  the  command,  and 
was  sent  here  to  confer  with  Gambetta,  and  he  has  kept 
me.     Now  what  are  you  going  to  do?" 

"We  were  going  to  report  ourselves,  Colonel." 

"No  use  going  to-day,  too  late;  come  and  dine  with 
me  at  the  Bordeaux.     Have  you  got  rooms?" 

"Not  yet,  colonel." 

"Then  I  can  tell  you  you  won't  get  them  at  all.  The 
place  is  crowded,  not  a  bed  to  be  had  for  love  or  money. 
I've  got  rooms  by  the  greatest  good  luck.  One  of  you 
can  have  the  sofa,  the  other  an  armchair  or  the  hearth- 
rug, whichever  suits  you  best." 

"Thau  l  you  very  much,  we  shall  do  capitally,"  the 
boys  said.     "And  now,  have  you  any  news  from  Paris?" 

"We  have  no  late  news  from  Paris;  but  worse  still, 
the  news  gets  very  slowly  and  irregularly  into  Paris. 
The  pigeons  seem  to  get  bewildered  with  the  snow,  or 
else  the  Prussians  shoot  them." 

"But  surely,  with  such  an  immense  circle  to  guard, 
there  could  be  no  great  difficulty  in  a  messenger  finding 
his  way  in." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIUEUR8.  205 

"There  is  a  difficulty,  and  a  very  great  one,"  Colonel 
Tempe  said,  "for  of  all  who  have  tried,  only  one  or  two 
have  succeeded;  now  come  along,  or  we  shall  be  late 
for  dinner." 

It  was  a  curious  medley  at  the  table  d'hote  at  the 
Hotel  de  Bordeaux.  Generals  with  their  breasts  covered 
with  orders,  and  simple  franc-tireurs;  officers  of  every 
arm  of  the  service,  ministers  and  members  of  the  late 
Corps  Legislatif;  an  American  gentleman  with  his 
family,  English  newspaper  correspondents,  army  contrac- 
tors, and  families  refugees  from  Paris.  After  dinner  they 
went  to  a  cafe  literally  crowed  with  officers,  and  thence  to 
Colonel  Tempe's  room, where  they  sat  down  quietly  to  chat 
over  what  had  taken  place  since  the  last  visit. 

"But  where  is  your  Irishman?  your  father  told  me  he 
was  with  you;  I  suppose  you  could  not  get  him  out." 

"Oh,  yes,  Tim's  here,"  Ealph  said,  laughing,  "but  he 
ran  across  a  couple  of  Irishmen  belonging  to  the  foreign 
legion,  and  as  he  would  have  been  in  our  way,  and  we 
did  not  know  where  we  were  going  to  sleep,  we  gave  him 
leave  till  to-morrow  morning,  when  he  is  to  meet  us  in 
front  Qf  the  railway  station." 

"By  the  way,  boys,  I  suppose  you  know  you  have  each 
got  a  step?" 

"No,"  the  boys  cried.     "Eeally?" 

"Yes,  really,"  the  colonel  said.  "That  good  fellow 
Cambriels  sent  in  a  strong  report  in  your  favor  upon 
resigning  his  command,  rehearsing  what  you  did  with 
us,  and  requesting  that  the  step  might  be  at  once  given 
to  you;  as  a  matter  of  course  it  was  in  the  next  Gazette." 

"Of  course  we  feel  pleased,  colonel,  but  it  seems 
absurd,  so  young  as  we  are;  why,  if  we  go  on  like  this,  in 
another  six  months  we  may  be  majors." 

"In  ordinary   times  it  would  be  absurd,  lads,  and  it 
would  not  be  possible  for  you  to  hold  the  grade  you  do 


206  THE  YOVNG-FBANC-TIREURS. 

now,  still  less  higher  ones,  unless  you  understood  thor- 
oughly your  duty.  At  the  present  moment  everything 
is  exceptional.  A  man  who  perhaps  only  served  a  few 
months  in  the  army  years  ago  is  made  a  general,  and 
sent  to  organize  a  camp  of  new  levies.  Of  course  he 
could  not  command  these  troops  in  the  'field,  could  not 
even  drill  them  on  the  parade  ground.  But  that  is  of 
no  matter.  He  has  a  talent  for  organization,  and  there- 
fore is  selected  to  organize  the  camp,  and  to  enable  him 
to  do  so  efficiently  he  receives  the  nominal  rank  of  gen- 
eral. In  ordinary  times  a  man  could  not  get  promoted 
three  or  even  four  times  in  as  many  weeks,  over  the 
heads  of  hundreds  of  others,  without  causing  an  immense 
amount  of  jealousy,  without  in  fact  upsetting  the  whole 
traditions  of  the  army.  Now,  it  is  altogether  different. 
The  officers  of  the  regular  army  are  almost  all  prisoners. 
Every  one  is  new,  every  one  is  unaccustomed  to  his 
work,  and  men  who  show  themselves  to  be  good  men  can 
be  rewarded  and  promoted  with  exceptional  rapidity 
without  exciting  any  feeling  of  jealousy  whatever.  Be- 
sides which,  the  whole  thing  is  provisional.  When  the 
war  is  over  every  one  will  either  go  back  into  private 
life,  or,  if  they  continue  to  serve,  will  be  gazetted  into 
the  regular  army  according  to  some  scale  or  other  to  be 
hereafter  determined  upon.  Some  inconveniences  no 
doubt  will  arise,  but  they  will  hardly  be  serious.  I  was 
offered  a  general's  rank  a  month  ago,  but  I  declined  it, 
as  it  would  have  entailed  either  my  undertaking  duties 
for  which  I  am  unfit,  as  setting-to  to  organize  young 
levies,  and  giving  up  active  service.  No,  if  you  go  on 
as  you  have  hitherto  done,  boys,  you  may  be  colonels  in 
another  six  months;  for  when  a  name  is  recommended 
for  promotion  for  good  service  by  a  general,  you  may 
well  suppose  there  is  no  question  asked  as  to  his  age. 
Of  course  no  general  would  recommend  you  as  captains 


THE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREUR8.  30? 

to  command  companies  in  a  regiment,  because  you  are 
altogether  ignorant  of  a  captain's  duty;  but  you  are 
quite'capable  of  filling  the  duties  of  captain  on  the  staff, 
as  those  duties  require  only  clear-headedness,  pluck, 
attention,  and  common  sense.  What  I  should  like  to 
win,  even  more  than  a  company,  were  I  in  yoar  place, 
would  be  a  commander's  cross  in  the  legion  of  honor. 
I  had  the  cross  years  ago,  but  I  only  had  the  com- 
mander's cross  a  fortnight  ago,  for  the  bridge  of 
Vesouze." 

"Ah!  yes;"  Ralph  said,  "that  would  be  worth  win- 
ning, but  that  is  hopeless." 

Colonel  Tempe  was  silent.  Ralph  and  Percy  looked 
at  him.  "You  mean,"  Ralph  said,  after  a  pause,  "that 
there  is  a  chance  somehow  of  our  winning  it." 

"Well,  boys,"  Colonel  Tempe  said,  "I  don't  know 
that  I  am  right  in  leading  you  into  danger,  but  I  do 
think  that  you  might  win  it.  I  was  mentioning  your 
names  only  yesterday  to  Gambetta.  A  dispatch  had 
just  come  in  from  Paris,  grumbling  at  receiving  no  news 
from  the  country,  and  Gambetta  was  lamenting  over  the 
impossibility  of  arranging  for  simultaneous  movements, 
©wing  to  the  break-down  of  the  pigeons,  and  the  failure 
of  the  messengers;  when  I  said,  'There  were  two  young 
English  fellows  with  us  in  the  Vosges;  they  were  on 
Cambriel's  staff  last,  and  are  now  prisoners,  who,  if  they 
were  here,  would,  I  believe,  get  in  if  any  one  could. 
They  went  down  over  and  over  again  among  the  Ger- 
mans, and  I  could  lay  any  money  that  they  would  suc- 
ceed.' 'How  did  they  get  taken  prisoners?'  Gambetta 
asked,  as  sharp  as  a  knife.  'By  no  fault  of  their  own/ 
I  answered;  they  went  out  on  leave  to  see  me,  and  slept 
with  a  party  of  franc-tireurs,  where  they  of  course  had 
no  authority  as  to  sentries,  and  the  party  was  surprised 
at  night  and  completely  cut  up.     They  were  taken  pris- 


208  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

oners,  but  I  do  not  expect  that  they  will  remain  so  for 
long.'  Gambetta  did  not  say  anything  then,  but  when  I 
left  him  an  hour  afterward,  he  remarked,  'If  you  hear  of 
those  young  fellows  you  were  speaking  of  having  re- 
turned, send  them  to  me,  Tempe.'  " 

Ralph  looked  at  Percy,  and  checked  the  offer  to  go, 
which  he  saw  was  on  his  brother's  lip.  "I  think  it 
might  be  done,  colonel,"  he  said  quietly;  "but  it  is  a 
serious  matter,  and  we  will  think  it  over  before  we  give 
an  opinion." 

Ralph  then  changed  the  subject,  and  they  talked  over 
the  events  which  had  happened  in  the  Vosges,  the 
strategy  and  maneuvers  of  General  Michel,  the  arrival 
of  Garibaldi,  the  doings  of  the  franc-tireurs,  etc. 

"By  the  way,"  the  colonel  said,  "there  was  a  telegram 
in  this  evening,  just  as  I  left  the  office,  that  the  Ger- 
mans occupied  Dijon  yesterday." 

"You  don't  say  so,"  the  boys  said,  jumping  from 
their  seats.     "Was  there  any  fighting?" 

"Yes;  some  Mobiles  and  franc-tireurs  made  a  very 
plucky  defense  outside  the  town.  Owing  to  some  gross 
mismanagement,  the  great  bulk  of  the  troops  had  been 
withdrawn  only  the  day  before.  After  two  or  three 
hours'  fighting  our  men  fell  back,  the  Prussians,  as 
usual,  shelled  the  town,  and  the  authorities  surrendered." 

"The  fighting  could  not  have  been  our  side  of  the 
town,"  Ralph  said  thoughtfully. 

"No,  just  the  other  side,"  Colonel  Tempe  said;  "as 
my  wife  is  still  at  home,  and  our  place  is  not  many  hun- 
dred yards  from  yours,  that  was  the  first  thing  I  thought 
of." 

"I  wonder  if  papa  was  in  the  fight?"  Percy  said 
anxiously. 

"I  should  think  it  probable,  boys,  that  my  old  friend 
would  have  gone  out,  but  I  do  not  think  that  you  need 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  209 

be  uneasy  about  it,  for  from  what  the  telegram  said  our 
loss  was  small.  The  troops  fell  back  into  the  town,  and 
retreated  unmolested  through  it.  So  your  father  would 
no  doubt  have  changed  his  things  in  the  town,  and  have 
walked  quietly  back  again.  He  had  volunteered  into 
the  national  guards  when  I  came  last  through  Dijon, 
and  was  hard  at  work  drilling  them.  Of  course  he  had 
his  old  rank  of  captain. " 

At  ten  o'clock  the  boys  said  that  they  would  go  for  a 
stroll  before  lying  down  for  the  night.  They  were  out 
upward  of  an  hour,  and  returned  at  the  end  of  that  time 
with  serious  but  resolved  faces.  The  colonel  was  out 
when  they  returned,  and  found  them  stretched  on  the 
sofa  and  hearthrug  when  he  came  in.  They  gave  him  a 
sleepy  good-night,  and  no  other  word  was  exchanged. 

In  the  morning  they  were  up  at  eight  o'clock;  Colo- 
nel Tempe  was  already  dressed,  and  they  went  out 
together  to  get  their  coffee  and  milk.  As  they  were 
taking  it,  Kalph  told  him  that  they  had  made  up  their 
minds  to  make  the  attempt  to  enter  Paris  with  dis- 
patches, but  that  they  saw  but  one  way  to  do  so,  and 
that  unless  they  could  be  furnished  with  the  necessary 
papers  they  should  abandon  all  idea  of  the  enterprise. 
Ten  minutes  later  they  entered  the  prefecture.  Colo- 
nel Tempe  went  in  at  once  to  see  Gambetta,  while  the 
boys  remained  in  the  anteroom.  In  ten  minutes  their 
friend  came  out  again,  and  .beckoned  to  them  to  come 
into  the  next  room. 

"These  are  Lieutenants  Barclay,"  he  said.  The  boys 
bowed,  and  examined,  with  attentive  curiosity,  the  man 
who  was  at  that  time  the  absolute  ruler  of  France.  A 
dark  man,  with  a  short  black  beard,  keen  eyes,  and  a 
look  of  self-reliance  and  energy:  a  man  who  committed 
endless  mistakes,  but  who  was  the  life  and  soul  of  the 
French  resistance:  a  man  to  whom,  had  he  lived  in  olden 


210  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

times,  the  Eomans  would  have  erected  a  statue  because, 
in  her  deepest  misfortunes,  he  never  despaired  of  the 
republic. 

He  looked  keenly  at  the  young  men.  "Colonel  Temp6 
tells  me  that  you  have  rendered  very  great  service  by 
going  among  the  enemy  in  disguise,  and  that  you  are 
willing  to  make  an  attempt  to  carry  dispatches  into 
Paris." 

"We  are  ready  to  try/'  Ralph  said  respectfully;  "but 
after  talking  it  over  in  every  way,  we  can  see  but  one  dis- 
guise which  would  enable  us  to  penetrate  the  enemy's 
lines  near  enough  to  the  ground  between  the  two  armies 
to  render  an  attempt  possible,  and  even  that  disguise 
will  be  useless  unless  we  can  procure  certain  papers." 

"What  is  your  plan?"  M.  Gambetta  asked. 

"We  intend  to  go  as  German  Jews,"  Ralph  said. 
"The  Prussians  strip  all  the  clocks,  pictures,  and  furni- 
ture of  any  value  from  the  villas  they  occupy,  and  send 
them  back  to  Germany.  There  are  a  number  of  Jews 
who  follow  the  army,  and  either  buy  these  stolen  goods 
from  them,  or  undertake  to  convey  them  back  to  Ger- 
many at  a  certain  price.  Several  of  these  Jews,  with 
their  wagons  full  of  clocks  and  other  articles,  have  been 
captured  by  our  franc-tireurs  or  troops,  and  no  doubt 
papers  of  some  kind  have  been  found  upon  them.  These 
papers  would  naturally  be  sent  here.  If  we  could  be 
provided  with  them,  we  could,  I  have  little  doubt,  pene- 
trate their  lines." 

"An  excellent  idea,"  the  minister  said.  "I  have  no 
doubt  that  we  have  such  papers."  And  he  struck  a 
small  hand  bell  on  the  table.  An  attendant  entered. 
"Tell  Captain  Verre  I  wish  to  speak  to  him."  "Cap- 
tain Verre,"  he  said,  when  that  officer  entered,  "there 
were  some  papers  came  last  week  from  General  Faid- 
herbe,  relative  to  those  wagons  laden  with  clocks,  ladies' 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  211 

dresses,  and  so  on,  that  were  captured  near  Mezieres. 
Just  look  through  them,  and  see  if  there  were  any  Ger- 
man permits  for  the  bearers  to  pass  freely  for  the  pur- 
pose of  trading.     If  so,  let  me  have  them  at  once." 

The  officer  at  once  left  the  room. 

"Supposing,  as  I  have  no  doubt,  that  we  can  give  you 
the  papers,  what  is  your  course?" 

"Speed  is  naturally  an  essential,"  Ralph  said.  "We 
shall  disguise  ourselves  at  once,  and,  upon  receipt  of 
the  dispatches,  start  from  here  to  Orleans  by  train,  with 
two  good  horses,  which  can,  of  course,  be  furnished  us. 
We  shall  ride  through  the  forest  of  Orleans,  and  so  to 
Montargis,  cross  the  Loing  there,  and  make  straight  for 
Melun,  keeping  always  through  by-lanes.  As  far  as  we 
know,  there  are  no  large  bodies  of  the  enemy  along  that 
line.  When  we  get  near  the  town  we  shall  leave  our 
horses  with  some  village  maire,  or  give  them  to  a  farmer, 
and  walk  into  the  place  boldly.  You  will  furnish  us 
with  a  note  to  the  maire  of  Melun,  as  well  as  a  circular 
to  all  French  authorities,  to  give  us  any  help,  and  we 
shall  get  him  to  assist  us  at  once  to  buy  a  wagon  and 
two  strong  horses.  With  these  we  shall  drive  round 
direct  to  Versailles.  Our  pass  will  admit  us  into  the 
town  without  difficulty,  and  then  we  shall  naturally  be 
guided  by  circumstances.  We  must  be  furnished  with  a 
considerable  sum  of  money  to  make  purchases  of 
plunder." 

"An  admirable  plan,"  said  the  minister  warmly,  "and 
one  that  deserves  even  should  it  not  obtain  success.  I 
need  not  speak  to  you  of  reward,  because,  as  gentlemen, 
I  know  that  you  make  the  attempt  from  the  love  of 
honor.  Colonel  Tempe  has  before  spoken  to  me  of  you, 
and  you  were  highly  commended  by  General  Cambriels. 
Your  names  will,  therefore,  be  in  the  next  Gazette  for 
the  cross  of  the  legion  of  honor,  and  if  you  succeed  vou 


212  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

will  come  back  captains  and  commanders  of  the  legion. 
I  may  mention,  although  I  know  that  it  will  not  add  to 
your  motive  to  succeed,  that  you  will  be  entitled  to  the 
reward  of  fifty  thousand  francs,  which  has  been  offered 
to  any  one  who  will  carry  in  dispatches  to  Paris." 

At  this  moment  the  officer  entered.  "Here  are  the 
papers  the  Jews  with  the  captured  wagons  carried,"  he 
said.  "They  are  signed  by  the  general  at  Frankfort, 
and  countersigned  by  at  least  a  dozen  military  authori- 
ties.    There  are  three  of  them." 

The  minister  glanced  at  them.  "They  will  do  well," 
he  said.  "Will  you  be  ready  to  start  to-morrow 
morning?" 

"Quite  ready,"  Ealph  said. 

"Very  well.  Then  if  you  will  be  here  at  half-past  five 
the  dispatches  will  be  ready,  written  of  course  so  as  to 
fold  up  in  the  smallest  possible  compass.  Captain 
Verre,  will  you  see  that  two  of  the  best  horses  in  my 
stable  are  put  into  boxes  in  the  train  that  leaves  at  six 
to-morrow  morning." 

The  boys  now  rose  to  leave.  "Good-morning,"  the 
minister  said.  "All  the  letters  of  recommendation,  the 
dispatches,  and  the  money  will  be  ready  when  you  come 
in  the  morning." 

The  boys,  on  going  out,  held  a  long  consultation  over 
their  disguises.  Examining  the  papers,  they  found  that 
one  was  for  two  persons  of  the  same  name,  Isaac  Kraph 
and  Aaron  Kraph,  father  and  son,  the  father,  as  described 
in  the  pass,  forty-five  years  old,  the  son  eighteen.  This 
pass  they  determined  to  use.  The  task  of  changing 
Percy  into  a  Jew  boy  of  eighteen  was  evidently  an  easy 
one.  His  clear  complexion  was  the  only  difficulty,  and 
this  could  be  readily  disguised.  Ralph's  disguise  was  a 
more  difficult  one,  and  there  was  a  considerable  debate 
as  to  whether  he  had   better  go  as  a  red  Jew  or  a  dark 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRED RS.  213 

Jew.  The  latter  was  finally  determined  upon,  as  other- 
wise the  contrast  between  the  supposed  father  and  son 
would  be  too  striking.  They  then  went  to  their  tailor, 
and  found  their  uniforms  ready.  They  at  once  put  them 
on,  as  the  peculiarity  of  the  purchases  they  intended  to 
make  was  so  great  that,  had  they  been  in  their  civilian 
dress,  it  was  certain  that  they  would  have  been  regarded 
with  suspicion,  and  would  have  perhaps  had  difficulty  in 
obtaining  what  they  wanted. 

Their  first  visit  was  to  a  hairdresser's  shop.  Rather 
to  the  astonishment  of  the  proprietor  they  told  him  that 
they  wished  to  speak  to  him  in  a  private  room,  and  still 
more  to  his  astonishment,  when  the  door  was  closed, 
they  told  him  that  they  wanted  their  hair  dyed  quite 
black.  The  hairdresser  could  hardly  believe  his  ears. 
The  boys  had  both  brown  wavy  hair,  Percy's  being  the 
lightest,  and  that  two  young  officers  .of  the  staff  should 
at  such  a  time  desire  to  dye  their  hair  struck  the  man 
almost  dumb  with  astonishment. 

Ralph  smiled.  "No  wonder  you  are  surprised,  but 
we  have  an  important  mission  to  carry  out,  and  it  is 
essential  that  we  should  be  completely  disguised.  We 
are  going  as  spies  into  Von  der  Tann's  camp.  This,  of 
course,  is  in  the  strictest  confidence." 

The  hairdresser  was  at  once  struck  with  the  impor- 
tance of  the  occasion. 

"You  want  an  instantaneous  dye?"  he  asked. 

"Certainly,"  Ralph  said;  "and  one  that  will  last  at 
any  rate  for  a  week."  There  was  no  difficulty  whatever 
in  complying  with  the  request,  and  in  ten  minutes  the 
boys'  heads  were  raven  in  their  blackness. 

"Now,"  Ralph  said,  "I  want  my  brother's  hair,  which 
is  fortunately  very  long,  to  be  completely  frizzled;  and 
I  want  a  pair  of  the  tongs  you  do  it  with,  so  as  to  be 
able  to  do  it  for  ourselves. 


214  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS, 

This  also  was  easy  enough. 

"Now,"  Ralph  went  on,  "for  myself  I  want  my  hair 
to  be  very  long,  to  come  down  over  my  ears  on  to  my 
collar  all  the  way  round." 

"But  the  only  way  to  do  that  is  to  have  a  wig  specially 
made  for  you." 

"Not  at  all,"  Ralph  said.  "I  could  not  put  on  a  wig 
even  if  you  had  one  just  as  I  want  it  ready;  the  parting 
always  shows  if  it  is  narrowly  looked  at.  I  want  some 
long  flat  bands  of  hair  like  those  you  use  for  chignons. 
It  must  be  black  to  match  my  hair  as  it  is  now,  but  put 
a  few  streaks  of  gray  into  it.  I  must  have  a  band  of  this 
hair  long  enough  to  go  round  the  head  from  just  above 
one  ear  to  just  above  the  other.  If  you  part  my  hair 
just  at  the  place  where  the  band  is  to  go,  brush  the  hair 
up,  put  the  band  of  artificial  hair  on  with  shoemaker's 
wax  or  something  else  to  hold  tight,  then  brush  the  hair 
back  again  over  the  band,  it  would  be  absolutely  impos- 
sible to  see  it  was  not  all  natural.  Then  cut  the  long 
hair  so  as  to  lay  on  my  coat  collar,  frizzle  it  and  the 
natural  hair,  and  I  will  defy  the  keenest-eyed  Prussian 
to  see  anything  wrong  about  it." 

As  soon  as  the  hairdresser  understood  exactly  what 
Ralph  wanted  he  entered  heartily  into  his  plans,  and 
several  of  the  short  flat  bands  of  black  hair  used  for 
chignons  were  sewn  on  to  a  band.  This  was  fastened  on 
to  Ralph's  head  in  the  way  he  had  suggested,  the  long 
tresses  were  cut  to  the  required  length,  the  tongs  were 
used  on  them  and  on  the  natural  hair,  and  plenty  of  oil 
put  on,  and  in  an  hour  his  headdress  was  perfect — an 
immense  bush  of  frizzly  hair.  The  cloth  was  taken 
from  round  his  neck,  and  as  he  looked  at  himself  in  the 
glass  he  joined  heartily  in  Percy's  shout  of  laughter. 

"But,  Ralph,  how  are  you  to  go  out  in  your  uniform 
and  that  head  of  hair?" 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  215 

"Dear  me,"  Ralph  said;  "I  had  quite  forgotten  that. 
Go  to  the  tailor's,  Percy,  and  tell  them  to  send  the  suit  I 
changed  there  in  here  directly." 

Percy  went  off  for  the  clothes,  and  Ralph  then  went 
on: 

"Now  I  want  a  black  or  grayish  beard,  whiskers,  and 
mustache." 

"I  have  not  got  such  a  thing,"  the  hairdresser  said; 
but  I  know  a  man  who  keeps  them;  I  will  get  it  for  you 
in  a  quarter  of  an  hour." 

In  a  few  minutes  Percy  returned  with  a  boy  with 
Ralph's  clothes.  In  a  short  time  they  were  ready  to 
start. 

"You  do  look  a  strange  object,  Ralph. 

"Never  mind,  Percy,  there  are  plenty  of  strange 
objects  here;  no  one  will  notice  me." 

Then  saying  that  they  would  call  in  again  in  half  an 
hour  for  the  beard,  they  went  to  a  chemist's,  from 
whom,  after  some  talk,  they  obtained  a  mixture  to  give 
a  slightly  brown  tinge  to  their  faces.  They  now  dived 
into  the  back  streets  of  the  town,  found  a  second-hand 
clothes  shop,  and  speedily  got  the  articles  they  required. 
Ralph  had  a  long  greatcoat  with  a  fur  collar  and  a  pair 
of  high  boots  coming  up  to  his  knees  and  to  be  worn 
over  the  trousers;  a  black  fur  cap  completed  his  cos- 
tume. Percy  had  a  black  cap  made  of  rough  cloth,  with 
a  peak  and  with  flaps  to  come  down  over  the  ears,  an  old 
greatcoat  with  fur  round  the  pockets  and  collar,  a  bright 
colored  handkerchief  to  go  two  or  three  times  round  the 
neck,  and  high  boots  like  those  of  Ralph.  They  then 
returned  to  the  hairdresser,  and  Ralph  insisted  that  the 
beard  and  mustache  should  be  fastened  on  not  only  in 
the  ordinary  manner  with  springs,  but  with  cobbler's 
wax.  "My  life,"  he  said,  "might  depend  upon  the 
things  not  slipping  at  any  moment." 


£16  THE  YOUNG  fillsiJSO-TIllElJBS. 

They  now  went  home.  The  moment  that  they  entered 
their  rooms  Ealph  exclaimed,  "Why,  we  have  forgotten 
all  about  Tim!" 

"So  we  have,"  Percy  said.  "He  was  to  have  met  us 
in  front  of  the  railway  station  at  nine  o'clock,  and  of 
course  he  has  no  idea  where  to  find  us.  I  will  go  there: 
very  likely  the  poor  fellow  is  waiting  still." 

Percy  hurried  off,  and  found  Tim,  as  he  had  expected, 
sitting  upon  the  steps  going  up  to  the  railway  station. 
He  jumped  up  with  a  cry  of  joy  upon  seeing  Percy. 

"The  Vargin  be  praised,  Misther  Percy!  I  began  to 
think  that  you  must  have  been  sent  off  somewhere  with- 
out time  to  warn  me,  and  I  couldn't  for  the  life  of  me 
make  out  what  to  do." 

"We  have  not  gone,  Tim,"  Percy  said,  not  wishing  to 
hurt  the  attached  fellow's  feelings  by  telling  him  that  he 
had  been  forgotten;  "but  we  are  starting  to-morrow.  I 
will  tell  you  all  about  it  when  we  get  in.  We  have  been 
to  see  M.  Gambetta  this  morning;  and,  do  you  know,  we 
met  Colonel  Tempe  last  night,  and  are  stopping  in  his 
rooms." 

So  saying,  he  walked  along  at  a  quick  pace  toward 
their  lodgings,  Tim  occasionally  glancing  a  puzzled  look 
at  him.  By  the  time  they  reached  the  room  Ralph  had 
stained  his  face  and  hands,  and  was  busy  dressing  in  his 
disguise.  His  back  was  to  the  door  when  they  entered, 
but  he  had  heard  the  Irishman's  voice  on  the  stair. 

"Well,  Tim,  how  are  you?"  he  said,  turning  round. 

"Howly  Vargin!"  ejaculated  Tim,  dropping  into  a 
chair,  and  crossing  himself  with  great  fervor.  "Sure, 
I'm  bewitched.  Here's  an  ould  gentleman,  wid  a  won- 
derful head  of  hair,  has  been  staleing  Mister  Ralph's 
voice." 

The  two  boys  went  off  in  a  shout  of  laughter  at  Tim's 
genuine  terror. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  217 

"Sure,  I'm  bewitched  entirely/'  he  went  on.  "He 
laughs  for  all  the  world  like  Misther  Kalph.  Did  ye  iver 
see  the  like?     What  is  it  all,  Misther  Percy,  dear?" 

Percy  had  by  this  time  taken  off  his  cap,  and  Tim,  as 
he  looked  him  fairly  in  the  face,  gave  another  start. 

"By  the  mother  of  Moses!"  he  exclaimed  in  terror, 
"we're  all  bewitched.  Misther  Ralph's  turned  into  an 
ould  man  with  a  furze-bush  of  hair,  and  Misther  Percy's 
beautiful  hair  has  all  turned  black  and  shriveled  itself 
up.  Am  I  turning  myself,  I  wonder?"  and  he  looked 
into  the  glass  to  see  if  any  change  had  taken  place  in  his 
own  abundant  crop  of  red  hair. 

The  boys  were  laughing  so  that  they  could  not  speak 
for  some  time,  and  Tim  sat  gazing  at  them  in  speechless 
bewilderment.  At  last  Percy  by  a  great  effort  recovered 
himself,  and  explained  td  him  the  whole  circumstances 
of  the  case.  The  Irishman's  astonishment  ceased  now, 
but  his  dismay  was  as  great  as  ever. 

"Then  is  it  alone  you're  going?"  he  said  at  last. 
"Are  you  going  into  danger  again  without  taking  me 
with  you?  You'd  never  do  that  surely,  Misther  Ralph?" 

"I  am  very  sorry,  Tim,  to  be  separated  from  you," 
Ralph  said;  "but  it  is  quite  impossible  for  you  to  go  with 
us.  If  you  understood  French  and  German  as  well  as  we 
do,  the  case  would  be  different;  but  as  it  is,  the  thing  is 
absolutely  impossible.  You  know  how  great  a  trouble  it 
was  to  disguise  you  before,  and  it  would  treble  our  anxie- 
ties and  difficulties.  Not  only  that,  but  even  if,  in  the 
face  of  every  possible  danger,  we  got  you  into  Paris  with 
us,  there  would  be  great  difficulty  in  getting  you  out. 
Gambetta  will  give  orders  for  us  to  be  allowed  to  come 
out  in  the  first  balloon;  but  it  is  by  no  means  easy  to  get 
places  in  balloons,  and  it  is  unlikely  in  the  extreme  that 
we  should  be  able  to  bring  you  out  with  us.  So  there 
you  would  be  shut  up  in  Paris  and  separated  from  us  for 


218  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRRURS. 

months.  No,  no,  Tim;  the  matter  is  altogether  impos- 
sible. You  stay  quietly  here,  and  in  ten  days  or  a  fort- 
night, if  all  goes  well,  we  shall  be  back  again  with  you.'7 

"And  is  it  in  a  balloon  you're  thinking  of  coming  out, 
Misther  Ealph,  flying  like  a  bird  through  the  air?  Och, 
wirra,  wirra!  I'll  never  see  yees  again." 

"Nonsense,  Tim,  there's  no  danger  in  a  balloon.  If 
getting  in  were  no  more  dangerous  than  getting  out, 
there  would  not  be  much  peril  in  the  matter  " 

"Ah,  Misther  Ealph,  dear,  how  can  you  be  risking  your 
life  and  the  life  of  your  brother  in  that  way?  Shooting 
at  a  Prussian,  or  getting  shot  at,  is  all  well  enough,  or 
going  among  them  with  your  hair  all  puffed  out,  and 
your  face  painted  brown,  and  the  hair  growing  ail  over 
your  face  before  its  time,  I  say  nothing  against;  but  fly- 
ing through  the  air  in  a  balloon  is  just  tempting  the 
good  Providence.  I  know  what  it  will  be;  you'll  be  just 
touching  against  a  cloud,  and  tumbling  out,  and  break- 
ing yourselves  into  smithereens,  and  nothing  to  take 
home  to  your  dear  father  and  mother,  not  to  mention 
Miss  Milly,"  and  Tim  fairly  blubbered  with  grief  at  the 
thought. 

The  boys  had  great  difficulty  in  pacifying  the  attached 
fellow;  but  at  last,  with  a  face  expressive  of  mournful 
resignation,  he  agreed  to  remain  with  Colonel  Tempe 
until  they  returned,  or  until  their  prolonged  absence 
rendered  it  likely  that  they  would  not  return  at  all,  Tim 
evidently  making  up  his  mind  that  the  latter  contin- 
gency would  happen.  In  that  case,  as  Tim,  now  his 
corps  had  ceased  to  exist,  need  no  longer  serve,  he 
expressed  his  determination  to  return  to  Dijon,  and  to 
stay  with  Captain  Barclay  until  the  end  of  the  war,  as  he 
should  not,  he  said,  have  the  heart  to  fight  any  more 
when  his  masters  were  both  killed.  While  the  conversa 
tion  had  been  going  on,  the  boys  had  continued  their 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  URS.  219 

toilets.  The  preparation  which  they  had  obtained 
gave  them  an  olive  complexion,  and  their  transformation 
was  now  so  complete  that  the  boys  would  have  passed 
each  other  unknown,  even  had  they  looked  steadily  at  each 
other.  Ralph  especially  was  utterly  unlike  himself. 
They  now  told  Tim  to  go  out  and  get  his  breakfast,  and 
to  return  in  two  hours'  time,  and  then  started  them- 
selves, rounding  their  shoulders  and  so  narrowing  their 
chests  as  much  as  possible.  Ralph  stopped  at  an  opti- 
cian's, bought  a  pair  of  slightly-colored  spectacles,  and 
put  them  on. 

It  was  now  twelve  o'clock,  the  preparations  having 
taken  them  three  hours,  and  they  went  to  the  cafe  where 
they  were  to  meet  Colonel  Tempe  to  breakfast.  He  was 
already  there,  and  they  walked  up  to  the  table  where  he 
was  sitting. 

"These  seats  are  engaged,"  Colonel  Tempe  said 
shortly. 

The  Barclays  sat  down  at  the  next  table,  and  called  in 
a  foreign  accent  for  two  glasses  of  beer.  Then  they 
spoke  together  for  some  little  time  about  a  journey  from 
St.  Malo,  which  they  had  just  made,  and  Ralph  then 
turned  to  Colonel  Tempe,  still  speaking  French  with  a 
strong  foreign  accent. 

"Pardon  me,  Colonel,"  he  said,  "we  have  just  arrived 
from  England.  We  have  a  very  large  quantity  of  army 
shoes,  and  I  should  feel  under  a  great  obligation  if  you 
could  inform  me  who  is  the  proper  person  to  whom  to 
apply." 

Colonel  Tempe  at  once  informed  them,  adding,  "If 
your  shoes  are  good  ones,  and  the  price  fair,  and  you  can 
deliver  them  soon,  you  will  not  have  to  wait  long,  for 
they  are  greatly  wanted." 

"We  have  also  some  harness  for  artillery  horses," 
Ralph  added. 


320  THE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIUEUB8. 

"I  do  not  know  about  that,"  the  colonel  said;  "but 
you  will  obtain  all  information  from  the  officer  I  have 
mentioned." 

"Thank  you  very  much,"  Ralph  said,  and  returned  to 
Lis  seat.  Colonel  Tempe  looked  at  his  watch  a  little 
impatiently, 

Ealph,  after  a  minute  or  two,  again  approached  him. 
"Don't  you  think  we  may  as  well  have  breakfast, 
colonel?"  he  said  in  his  natural  voice. 

The  colonel  looked  at  him  in  speechless  surprise. 

"So  the  disguises  are  pretty  good?"  Ealph  said,  smil- 
ing. 

"Impossible!"  the  Colonel  exclaimed.  "Do  my  eyes 
or  my  ears  deceive  me.     Can  it  really  be — — " 

"It's  us,  sure  enough,  colonel,  and  now  I  suppose  we 
may  as  well  sit  down." 

So  saying,  the  boys  took  their  seats  at  the  table,  but 
Colonel  Tempe  still  looked  from  one  to  the  other  in 
astonishment.  "Wonderful!"  he  at  last  said,  "wonder- 
ful! Even  now  I  know  who  it  is,  I  do  not  see  the  faint- 
est possible  resemblance.  Percy  is  of  course  less  altered 
than  you  are,  Ralph,  because  he  is  still  young  looking, 
but  even  now  I  should  not  recognize  him;  as  for  you, 
with  that  wonderful  head  of  hair,  and  that  beard,  you 
look  fifty,  and  as  unlike  yourself  as  possible.  Upon  my 
"word,  if  it  were  anywhere  else  but  here  in  Tours,  where 
there  are  all  sorts  of  oddities,  I  should  be  ashamed,  as  a 
colonel  in  the  army,  to  sit  down  to  table  with  yOu." 

"You  are  a  little  ashamed  as  it  is,"  Ralph  laughed. 
"We  had  not  intended  to  come  out  in  our  new  character 
so  soon,  but  when  my  hair  was  once  done,  you  see,  it 
was  impossible  to  go  about  in  uniform." 

"But  what  in  the  world  would  have  you  done  with 
your  hair?"  the  colonel  said,  examining  him  closely,  for 
Ralph  had  taken  off  his  fur  cap  and  laid  it  beside  him. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREZTRS.  221 

"You  have  not  got  a  wig  on,  and  yet  all  that  frizzly 
bunch  cannot  be  your  own." 

Ralph  explained  how  it  was  managed,  and  added, 
"And  now,  Colonel,  that  you  have  recovered  from  your 
surprise,  let  us  have  breakfast." 

Breakfast  was  ordered,  to  which  the  boys  did  full  jus- 
tice, but  Colonel  Tempe  was  still  getting  on  but  slowly, 
for  he  could  not  take  his  eyes  off  Ralph's  face.  "Will 
all  that  frizzle  keep  in?"  he  asked  presently. 

"Yes;  the  man  said  that  the  false  hair,  which  is  the 
greater  portion  of  it,  will  keep  as  well  for  a  week,  and 
we  have  got  a  small  curling  iron,  so  we  can  beautify  our- 
selves up  when  we  like." 

"Well,  boys,  I  have  no  doubt  now  that  you  will  be  able 
to  get  as  far  as  Versailles;  as  to  getting  through,  that's 
another  matter,  but  if  any  one  can  you  will,  I  am  con- 
vinced." 

"I  have  not  much  doubt  about  it, Colonel,"  Ralph  said. 
"I  seem  to  see  my  way  quite  clearly  into  Paris.  Much 
more  clearly,  indeed,  than  I  do  to  getting  out  again." 

"Oh,  it  does  not  matter  about  getting  out  again,  boys, 
you  can  stop  quietly  in  there  until  the  end  of  the  siege." 

"That  is  just  what  we  don't  want  to  do,"  Percy  said. 
"Would  you  kindly  ask  them  to  put  into  the  dispatches 
a  request  that  we  may  be  sent  out  again  by  the  first  bal- 
loon that  comes?  We  have  no  fancy  either  of  us  for  eat- 
ing rats  and  cats,  which  I  suppose  is  what  it  will  come  to 
before  it  is  over." 

"I  will  see  to  it,  boys,"  the  colonel  said,  smiling;  "but 
really  I  should  advise  your  staying  there;  you  have  done 
all  and  more  than  your  share  of  work." 

The  boys  shook  their  heads,  and  it  was  arranged  that 
if  they  got  in  they  should  come  out  again  in  a  balloon. 

The  next  morning  the  boys  were  up  at  half-past  four, 
and  at  half-past  five  were  at  the  prefecture.     Colonel 


222  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

Tempe  sent  in  his  name  to  the  minister,  and  they  were 
at  once  admitted. 

Gambetta  was  at  his  writing  table.  "Good-morning, 
Colonel  Tempe,"  he  said  cordially,  and  then  added,  in 
some  surprise,  "who  are  these  men  you  have  with  you, 
and  where  are  your  young  Englishmen?  I  hope  they 
•will  not  be  late." 

"These  are  they,"  the  colonel  said,  smiling. 

"They  are  who?"  Gambetta  said,  puzzled.  "I  do  not 
understand  you,  Colonel." 

"These  are  the  Lieutenants  Barclay,"  Colonel  Tempe 
said. 

The  minister  looked  from  the  colonel  to  the  two  boys 
and  back  again.  "Do  you  mean  to  say — "  he  began 
incredulously. 

"Yes,  sir,  it  is  us,"  Ralph  said;  "and  I  do  not  think 
there  is  much  fear  of  our  being  recognized." 

"So  little,  that  I  do  not  recognize  you  now.  There  is 
no  mistake,  Colonel?"  he  said  gravely;  "no  mystifica- 
tion? You  give  me  your  pledge  and  assurance  that  these 
are  the  officers  who  have  volunteered  for  this  duty? 
Eemember,  any  mistake  might  be  fatal." 

"These  are  certainly  the  Barclays,  sir;  I  give  you  my 
word." 

"It  is  a  marvelous  disguise,"  Gambetta  said,  his 
doubts  now  laid  at  rest,  "and  does  them  immense  credit. 
There  are  the  dispatches,  gentlemen.  They  are  done  up 
in  these  two  quills  and  sealed.  They  are  of  the  utmost 
importance,  and  must  not  at  any  hazard  fall  into  the 
hands  of  the  enemy.  The  dispatches  are  in  duplicate, 
so  that  in  case  one  only  gets  in  the  purpose  is  served. 
This  is  a  circular  letter  to  all  maires  and  other  French 
authorities,  ordering  them  to  give  you  every  possible 
assistance.  This  is  a  special  note  to  the  maire  of 
Melun.     Here  is  a  letter  to  Gej^eral  Aurelles  at  Orleans; 


THE  YOUNG  FRAJSrC-TIREURS.  223 

if  he  is  not  in  when  you  arrive,  his  chief  of  his  staff  will 
do.  He  is  ordered  to  send  a  staff  officer  with  you 
through  the  lines,  as  far  as  you  require  him.  The  horses 
are  in  the  train.  Now  good-by.  I  wish  you  a  very  good 
future,  for  you  are  gallant  young  fellows." 

So  saying,  he  shook  them  warmly  by  the  hand,  and 
they  hurried  off  to  the  train. 


224  2&E  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR& 


CHAPTER  XV. 

THE     EXPEDITION-. 

An  official  telegram  had  been  sent  forward  from  Tours 
to  the  station-master  at  Orleans,  to  request  him  to  order 
the  two  horses  sent  forward  in  the  train  to  be  got  out  of 
their  boxes  without  any  loss  of  time,  and  to  do  anything 
else  which  the  owners  of  the  horses  required.  Accord- 
ingly, as  the  train  was  waiting  outside  the  station  the 
guard  came  round  and  asked  at  each  carriage  for  the 
owners  of  the  horses.  He  appeared  a  little  surprised 
when  two  Jews  answered  the  inquiry,  as  he  had  expected 
that  they  were  officers  of  high  rank  and  importance. 

"The  compliments  of  the  station-master,"  he  said, 
"and  is  there  anything  he  can  do  with  the  horses?" 

"Yes,"  Kalph  said;  "give  my  compliments  to  the 
station-master,  and  say  that  I  shall  be  much  obliged  if 
he  will  get  them  out  of  the  horse-boxes  without  loss  of 
time  and  send  them  on  at  once  to  the  headquarters  of 
General  Aurelles.  We  will  go  on  at  once  in  a  vehicle." 
Five  minutes  afterward  the  train  drew  up  at  the  plat- 
form, and  the  guard  ran  up.  "This  way,  gentlemen,  a 
carriage  is  engaged." 

Upon  arriving  at  headquarters  they  found  that,  owing 
to  the  forethought  of  Colonel  Tempe,  they  were  expected: 
for,  upon  sending  in  their  names,  they  were  at  once 
admitted,  although  several  officers  of  all  grades  were 
waiting  in  the  anteroom. 

The  colonel  of  the  staff  gave  a  movement  of  surprise. 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  225 

"There  is  some  mistake  here,"  he  said  to  the  orderly 
who  had  shown  them  in;  "I  ordered  the  Lieutenants 
Barclay  to  he  admitted." 

"These  are  the  gentlemen  who  gave  me  the  card, 
Colonel,"  the  orderly  answered. 

"It  is  so,"  Ralph  said.  "Ii  you  will  favor  us  with  a 
moment  alone,  we  will  explain  the  matter  to  you." 

The  colonel  led  the  way  into  a  small  cabinet  adjoining. 

"We  are  bearers  of  dispatches  for  General  Trochu," 
Ralph  said,  "and  have  disguised  ourselves  to  endeavor 
to  pass  through  the  German  lines." 

"Oh,  is  that  it?"  the  colonel  said;  "I  must  really 
apologize;  but  no  one,"  he  said,  smiling,  "could  recog- 
nize you  in  that  disguise  to  be  French  officers.  Before 
we  speak  further  I  must  ask  you  for  some  proof  that  you 
are  what  you  state  yourselves  to  be,  for  at  present  I  have 
only  your  cards." 

"Here  is  our  letter  from  M.  Gambetta  to  General 
Aurelles,"  Ralph  said;  "it  is  directed  to  be  opened  by 
you,  should  he  be  absent." 

"That  is  all  right,"  the  colonel  said,  when  he  had  read 
it.  "My  surprise  at  your  appearance  was  natural,  for  the 
telegram  we  received  this  morning  only  said  'The  two 
Lieutenants  Barclay  will  arrive  by  six  o'clock  train. 
Their  business  is  most  important.  Have  a  well-mounted 
officer  of  staff  ready  to  accompany  them  through  lines.' 
I  thought,  of  course,  that  you  had  orders  to  report  on 
position  of  troops,  and  felt,  I  admit,  rather  angry  that 
Gambetta  should  wish  to  send  subaltern  officers  to  inspect 
matters  concerning  which  he  has  full  reports.  You  wish, 
of  course,  to  go  in  at  once?" 

"Our  horses  will  be  here  in  five  minutes,"  Ralph  said, 
"and  we  wish  to  get  as  far  as  possible  to-night.  We  mean 
to  cross  the  Loing  at  Montargis,  and  get  as  far  as  we  can 
to-night,  so  as  to  arrive  either  at  Meaux  or  Melun  to- 


226  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  MRS. 

morrow  evening.  We  should,  of  course,  prefer  Melun, 
as  being  much  the  shortest  route  toward  Versailles.  We 
shall  of  necessity  be  guided  by  the  position  of  the  Ger- 
mans." 

"You  have  not  breakfasted,  of  course?"  the  colonel 
said;  "I  was  just  going  to  sit  down  when  you  came  in, 
for  I  go  out  to  the  front  at  ten,  and  it  is  half-past  nine 
now.  You  will  have  no  chance  of  getting  anything 
before  you  arrive  at  Montargis.  I  can  introduce  you  to 
the  officer  who  will  accompany  you." 

The  boys  readily  accepted  the  invitation,  and  at  once 
followed  the  colonel  into  another  room,  where  breakfast 
was  laid,  and  several  officers  of  the  staff  were  waiting  for 
the  arrival  of  the  colonel  to  begin.  There  was  a  general 
look  of  surprise  when  he  entered  with  two  strange- 
looking  Jews,  which  was  not  a  little  increased  when  he 
said,  "Gentlemen,  the  Lieutenants  Barclay.  You  look 
surprised;  but  your  astonishment  will  cease  when  I  tell 
you  that  they  are  upon  an  important  mission,  and  do  not 
look  like  themselves;  and  now  to  table,  for  they  have  to 
start  in  ten  minutes.  Captain  Dnprat,  let  me  make  you 
specially  acquainted  with  these  gentlemen.  They  are 
bound  for  Montargis,  and  you  will  see'them  through  our 
outposts." 

In  another  quarter  of  an  hour  the  boys  were  issuing 
from  the  streets  of  Orleans,  and  were  soon  going  along 
at  a  hand  gallop,  by  the  road  along  the  banks  of  the 
Loire,  while  to  their  north  stretched  the  flat  and  densely- 
wooded  country  known  as  the  forest  of  Orleans.  As  far 
as  Chateauneuf  they  kept  near  the  river.  Here  they 
halted  half  an  hour  to  give  breathing-time  to  their 
horses;  then  started  again,  and  rode  fast  to  Bellegarde. 
Here  was  the  last  post  of  regular  troops,  but  Oathli- 
neau's  franc-tireurs  were  scattered  throughout  the  coun- 
try as  far  as  Montargis,  and  it  would  have  been  more 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  t  237 

difficult  for  the  Barclays  to  have  passed  through  them 
than  through  the  regular  troops,  as  they  had  less  respect 
for  passes. 

After  another  halt  they  again  started,  and  Captain 
Duprat  accompanied  them  as  far  as  Montargis,  where 
there  was  a  small  body  of  franc-tireurs.  Captain  Du- 
prat's  orders  were  to  sleep  at  Montargis,  and  then  return 
to  Chateauneuf  the  next  day.  The  boys  felt  rather  stiff 
and  tired  as  they  rode  into  Montargis,  for  they  had  not 
been  on  horseback  since  the  day  when  they  were  taken 
prisoners  in  the  Vosges,  and  they  had  ridden  forty  miles 
siuce  breakfast.  They  would,  however,  have  willingly* 
pushed  on  another  twenty  miles,  but  their  horses  had 
even  a  longer  day's  work  before  them  on  the  morrow. 

Being  accompanied  by  a  staff-officer,  no  questions 
whatever  were  asked  them;  and  after  a  good  dinner  at 
the  hotel  they  went  to  the  maire,  to  inquire  whether  he 
could  tell  them  as  to  the  advanced  posts  of  the  Germans. 
This  functionary,  like  such  functionaries  in  general, 
could  give  them  but  slight  information;  but,  as  far  as  he 
knew,  there  were  no  German  troops  on  the  right  bank  of 
the  Loing  south  of  its  junction  with  the  Yonne.  Beyond 
the  Yonne  they  were  scattered  pretty  thickly  every- 
where. 

At  daybreak  the  next  morning  they  started;  Captain 
Duprat  turned  his  horse's  head  westward  again,  while 
the  Barclays  rode  north.  Their  pace  was  rapid,  as  they 
never  drew  rein  except  at  villages  to  ask  whether  the 
Prussians  had  been  heard  of.  They  heard  of  parties  at 
Lorrez  and  Cheroy,  but  as  they  kept  through  by-lanes, 
and  as  the  country  was  thickly  wooded,  the  risk  was  at 
present  small.  They  had  with  them  an  excellent  map, 
which  enabled  them  to  follow  the  smallest  footpaths.  At 
eleven  o'clock  they  stopped  at  the  little  hamlet  of  Mon- 
tarlet.     There  they  breakfasted  and  gave  the  horses  an 


22$  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

hour's  rest  while  they  consulted  with  the  maire.  He 
was  a  miller,  and  turned  out  a  shrewd' fellow,  entering 
into  the  matter  with  great  warmth.  He  advised  them 
to  ford  the  Yonne  between  Montereau  and  its  junction 
with  the  Loing,  to  keep  to  the  woods  for  ten  miles,  and 
then  to  turn  to  the  left,  and  to  cross  the  Seine  at  one  of 
the  numerous  fords  there,  into  the  forest  of  Fontaine- 
bleau,  and  they  would  then  find  themselves  between  that 
town  and  Melun,  and  could  ride  boldly  into  Melun  as  if 
they  had  come  from  Fontainbleau. 

"I  know  every  foot  of  the  country, "  he  said,  "and  Will 
guide  you  till  you  are  safely  across  the  Seine.  If  we 
should  by  any  chance  fall  upon  a  patrol  of  the  enemy,  it 
will  be  simple  enough  to  say  that  I  am  a  miller  of  Mon- 
tarlot,  and  that  you  have  shown  me  your  permission  to 
travel  about  through  the  German  line,  and  have  asked 
me  to  guide  you  by  the  shortest  way  to  Melun." 

They  had  ever  reason  to  be  thankful  to  their  guide,  for 
they  found  that  there  were  a  great  many  scattered 
parties  of  Uhlans  about.  By  dint  of  making  detours 
through  woods,  however,  they  succeeded  in  striking  the 
Seine  at  Fontaine  le  Port  without  once  meeting  them. 

This  village  was,  however,  occupied  by  some  half- 
dozen  cavalry,  and  it  was  impossible  to  pass  the  river 
unseen  by  them.  The  Barclays  thanked  very  warmly 
their  friend  the  maire,  and  promised  to  mention  his  con- 
duct upon  thejr  return  to  Tours,  and  then  saying  good-by 
to  him  rode  into  the  village  alone. 

The  sergeant  of  Uhlans  came  to  the  door  of  the  prin- 
cipal cabaret  and  looked  out. 

"Good-day,"  Ralph  said  in  German,  reining  up  his 
horse.  "Is  it  here  that  I  cross  the  river  for  Fontaine- 
bleau?  They  told  me  at  Le  Ch&telet  that  it  was  shorter 
than  going  round  by  the  main  road." 

"Yes,  you  are  right  here,"  the  sergeant  said.  "Have 
you  passes?" 


THE  YOUNG  FRAN0-TIREUR8.  229 

•'Oh,  yes,"  Ralph  said,  laughing.  "It  would  have 
been  no  easy  matter  to  get  from  Frankfort  here  without 
them."     So  saying  he  pulled  out  the  Prussian  permit. 

"That  is  right,"  the  sergeant  said.  "Your  horses 
look  very  done." 

"We  have  ridden  from  Ooulommiers  through  Rozoy 
and  Normant." 

"It  would  have  been  an  easier  road  to  have  gone  from 
Normant  through  Melun,"  the  sergeant  said.  And  he 
took  out  a  map  and  examined  it.  "No,  I  see  le  Chatelet 
is  a  more  direct  line." 

"We  have  time  to  wait  an  hour,"  Ralph  said,  turning 
to  Percy;  "and  it  will  be  better  for  our  beasts.  See  that 
they  are  rubbed  down  and  fed." 

The  sergeant  gave  a  peremptory  shout,  and  the  master 
of  the  wineshop  ran  out.  The  sergeant  pointed  to  the 
horses. 

"Do  you  speak  French?"  he  asked  Ralph. 

"No,"  Ralph  said,  "but  my  son  does.  Aaron,  tell  him 
to  rub  them  down  and  feed  them  well,  and  see  to  it 
yourself;  these  dogs  are  capable  of  cheating  even  a 
horse." 

Ralph  then  entered  the  cabaret  and  called  for  some 
bread  and  cheese  and  a  bottle  of  the  best  wine,  with 
three  glasses.  The  Prussian  sergeant  sat  down  with 
them  and  talked  of  Germany  for  an  hour. 

Then  they  started  again,  crossed  the  river,  and  an  hour 
and  a  half  later  entered  Melun.  Here  as  they  came  in  by 
the  road  from  Fontainebleau,  which  was  held  in  force  by 
the  Germans,  no  question  was  asked.  They  rode  their 
tired  horses  through  the  streets  until  they  saw  a  quiet 
hotel.  Riding  into  the  yard  they  told  the  hostler  to  put 
up  their  horses  and  to  clean  and  feed  them  well,  enforc- 
ing their  request  with  a  five-franc  piece.  They  then 
entered  the  hotel  and  found   that  they  could  have  beds, 


230  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

as  the  number  of  German  officers  quartered  upon  this 
house  was  smaller  than  usual,  owing  to  the  greater  por- 
tion of  the  troops  having  been  pushed  on  to  reinforceVon 
der  Tann. 

It  was  now  half-past  five,  and  was  already  dusk.  They 
therefore  went  at  once  to  the  maire,  to  whom  they  pre- 
sented Gambetta's  letter,  and  requested  his  assistance  in 
purchasing  a  van  with  a  pair  of  good  strong  horses  at 
once. 

"It  will  be  next  to  impossible  to  get  horses,"  the  maire 
said,  "but  I  will  do  my  best.  I  have  two  carriage  horses 
of  good  breed,  but  I  fear  if  I  were  to  let  you  have  them 
the  Prussians  might  remark  it." 

"We  have  two  first-rate  animals,"  Ralph  said,  "from 
Gambetta's  own  stables.  They  have  carried  us  a  hun- 
dred miles  since  breakfast  time  yesterday.  They  are 
likely  to  be  at  least  as  good  as  yours  are,  only  they  want 
a  few  days'  rest;  will  you  exchange?" 

"Certainly,"  the  maire  said  at  once.  "If  any  inquiries 
were  to  be  made  about  it  I  need  make  no  secret  of  that 
transaction.  As  for  the  covered  cart,  I  wili  send  round  at 
once  to  those  of  my  neighbors  who  have  one,  and  as  you 
are  ready  to  pay  for  it,  and  as  the  Prussians  are  requisi- 
tioning them  without  payment,  you  can  rely  upon  having 
one  to-morrow  morning  ready  for  your  start.  I  will  send 
a  note  round  to  you  to-night  to  tell  you  where  it  is  at 
present." 

"We  had  better  go  now  to  the  German  commandant's 
office  and  get  our  passes  countersigned.  When  that  is 
done  we  shall  be  all  right  for  Versailles." 

"Yes,  I  should  advise  you  to  do  that,"  the  maire  said. 
"You  will  not  have  much  difficulty;  they  are  civil 
enough  about  passes  and  matters  of  that  kind.  Will  you 
mention  you  have  seen  me?" 

"Not  unless  any  question  is  asked  a-hout  horses,  in 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE URS.  231 

which  case  we  should  of  course  mention  that  hearing  you 
bad  a  pair  of  horses  and  ours  requiring  rest  we  had 
changed  with  you." 

They  now  went  boldly  to  the  orderly-room,  An  officer 
was  on  duty. 

"Will  you  please  to  vise  this  for  Versailles?"  Ralph 
said  in  German. 

The  officer  took  it,  glanced  at  it  and  at  them. 

"The  last  vise,  I  see,  was  at  Meaux  a  fortnight  since." 

"We  have  been  traveling  on  horseback  since,"  Ralph 
said,  "and  have  had  no  occasion  to  have  it  vised,  as  it 
has  always  passed  us  without  trouble.  As  we  are  now 
going  to  Versailles  with  a  wagon,  we  thought  it  better  to 
have  the  pass  vised  here."' 

"Where  have  you  come  from  now?" 

"From  Fontainebleau,"  Ralph  said.  "We  have  been 
down  to  Pithiviers,  and  I  sent  off  four  wagonloads  of 
things  from  there  for  the  frontier." 

"Your  best  way  is  through  Oorbeil  and  Longjumeau," 
the  officer  said,  handing  back  the  paper. 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  Ralph  replied,  "that  is  the  way  we 
are  intending  to  go." 

In  the  evening  the  maire  himself  came  in  to  look  at 
the  horses,  and  told  them  that  he  had  obtained  a  good 
light-covered  wagon,  with  springs,  which  had  been  used 
for  the  removal  of  furniture.  The  price  was  a  thousand 
francs.  "If  you  like,"  he  said,  "to  come  round  with  me 
now,  my  servant  shall  take  the  horses  round  there,  put 
them  in,  and  bring  the  wagon  here,  and  he  can  then 
take  your  horses  back  with  him  to  my  stables.  Please 
to  write  me  a  paper,  signed  by  the  name  on  your  German 
pass,  saying  that  you  have  bought  my  horses  of  me,  and 
have  sold  me  yours;  put  down  any  figures  you  like  as 
having  passed  between  us.  You  are  upon  a  very  perilous 
expedition;  and  in  case  of  anything  happening  to  you, 


232  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

it  would  be  well  for  me  that  nothing  beyond  a  mere  busi- 
ness transaction  could  be  traced  between  us." 

At  seven  o'clock  the  next  morning  they  started.  The 
distance  was  only  thirty  miles,  but  the  roads  were  terri- 
bly slippery  from  the  deep  snow,  now  trampled  flat  by 
the  immense  traffic  of  the  army.  It  was  five  in  the  after- 
noon when  they  reached  the  first  sentries  at  the  entrance 
to  Versailles.  The  pass  was  sufficient,  and  they  went  on 
uninterrupted.     Percy  drove  and  Ealph  sat  beside  him. 

The  town  swarmed  with  officers  and  soldiers  of  all 
ranks.  No  one  paid  them  any  attention,  and  they  drove 
through  the  Place  d'Armes  and  on  to  the  market-place, 
where  they  knew  there  were  many  inns  frequented  by 
the  market  people.  Here,  as  they  expected,  they  found 
it  impossible  to  get  a  bed,  but  they  had  no  difficulty  in 
obtaining  permission  for  the  wagon  to  stand  in  a  yard, 
and  were  lucky  enough  to  get  stable  room  for  the  horses. 
They  went  into  the  town  and  bought  four  blankets,  and 
as  at  starting  they  had  filled  the  wagon  two  feet  deep 
with  straw,  they  had,  in  spite  of  the  cold  weather,  every 
hope  of  passing  a  comfortable  night.  Dinner  was  the 
next  thing,  and  that  over,  they  strolled  about  until  nine 
o'clock.  It  was  a  singular  sight,  this  army  of  invaders 
comfortably  quartered  in  the  ancient  capital  of  France. 
The  palace,  the  statues  in  front  of  it,  everything  told  of 
the  glories  of  France;  every  park  around,  eve^y  little 
palace  was  intimately  associated  with  its  sovereigns;  and 
here,  in  the  midst  of  these  memorials,  the  German  invad- 
ers stalked  carelessly,  drank  in  the  cafes,  or  feasted  in 
the  hotels,  as  if  the  place  had  belonged  to  them  from 
time  immemoriah  Afar  orl  in  the  quiet  of  the  evening 
could  be  heard  the  distant  boom  of  the  guns  round  the 
beleaguered  city0 

There  were  several  things  which  the  Barclays  wanted 
to  get,  but  they  had  no  difficulty  with  them,  as  the  shops 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUES.  233 

were  all  open  as  usual.  The  population  h.da  depressed 
look;  all  classes  were  suffering  much,  with  the  exception 
of  the  shopkeepers,  whose  business  was  as  brisk  as  ever, 
save  only  those  tradesmen  who  dealt  in  articles  of  female 
attire,  for  which  there  was  no  demand  whatever.  The 
ladies  of  Versailles  went  as  little  as  possible  into  the 
streets,  and  when  they  did  so  all  dressed  themselves  in 
black  or  other  somber  colors.  By  nine  o'clock  the  shops 
were  all  closed,  and  the  Barclays  returned  to  their  wagon 
with  their  purchases  in  their  hands. 

"It's  awfully  cold,  Ralph!"  Percy  said,  as  they  rolled 
themselves  in  their  blankets,  and  covered  themselves  over 
with  straw. 

"It  is,  Percy;  but  it  will  be  a  deal  colder  in  the  river." 

Percy  gave  a  shudder  at  the  thought.  "Don't  you 
think,  Ralph,  that  there  is  any  possibility  of  entering  on 
either  of  the  other  sides?" 

"Not  the  slightest,  Percy;  it  must  be  across  the  river, 
or  not  at  all.  The  sentries  will  not  be  anything  like  so 
thick  upon  that  side." 

Had  any  one  looked  into  the  wagon  at  eight  o'clock 
next  morning  he  would  have  been  surprised  at  the  occu- 
pation upon  which  the  boys  were  engaged.  Each  was 
sewing  a  piece  of  thin  waterproof  cloth  upon  a  pair  of 
white  woolen  gloves,  so  that  the  fingers  when  outspread 
had  the  appearance  of  the  webbed  foot  of  a  frog. 

"That  ought  to  help  us,"  Ralph  said,  when  they 
finished.  "For  a  really  long  swim  I  dare  say  they  would 
be  very  fatiguing;  but  it  is  cold,  not  fatigue,  we  have  to 
fear,  and  speed  is  therefore  everything." 

At  nine  o'clock  Ralph  went  to  the  office  of  the  general 
in  command.  There  were  a  number  of  other  persons 
waiting  for  permits,  and  Ralph  waited  his  turn  to  go  in 
zo  the  officer  engaged  in  signing  them. 

"I  am  from  Frankfort,  as  my  papers  show,"  he  said, 


234  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-1TLIEUR8. 

handing  the  officer  his  pass.  "I  wish  for  a  pass  to  go 
with  my  horse  and  cart  to  Bellevne;  there  are,  I  hear, 
many  officers  desirous  of  selling  or  sending  home  articles 
they  have  saved."  Saved,  it  may  he  mentioned,  was  the 
word  employed  in  the  German  army  for  "stolen,"  which 
has  an  ugly  sound. 

The  officer  signed  the  paper.  "You  must  not  go  hy 
the  Sevres  route,"  he  said;  "you  must  turn  off  at 
Viroflay,  and  go  by  Chaville." 

Half  an  hour  later  they  started  in  the  wagon.  At  the 
gates  of  Versailles,  a  mile  from  the  town,  they  were 
stopped  by  sentries,  but  allowed  to  pass  on  production 
of  the  order  with  the  necessary  stamp. 

"Everything  is  going  on  well,  thus  far,"  Kalph  said, 
as  they  turned  off  from  the  main  road  at  Viroflay.  "It 
looks  like  snow,  too,  which  would  exactly  suit  us." 

Viroflay  was  crowded  with  Prussian  troops.  An 
officer  stopped  them  as  they  passed.  "Where  are  you 
going  to?" 

"We  are  going  to  Bellevue,'  Ealph  said;  "we  are  pur- 
chasers of  any  curiosities  or  souvenirs  of  the  war,  such 
as  pictures  or  clocks,  and  we  also  undertake  to  deliver 
in  Germany  any  article  which  may  be  intrusted  to  our 
charge.  We  have  our  passes  and  papers  in  regular 
order." 

"Wait  a  minute,"  the  officer  said;  "draw  up  at  that 
villa  there." 

The  wagon  drew  up  to  the  villa,  the  officer  walking  in 
front.  He  motioned  to  Ralph  to  dismount,  and  to 
follow  him  into  the  house,  leaving  Percy  in  charge  of 
the  wagon.  Five  or  six  officers  were  sitting  in  what  had 
been  the  drawing-room  of  the  villa. 

"Who  have  you  got  here?"  one  of  them  asked,  as 
Ealph's  conductor  entered. 

"A  worthy  Hebrew,"  the  other  laughed,  "who  will 
either  purchase  or  carry  home  articles  saved." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  235 

There  was  a  general  movement  of  interest.  The  fur- 
niture of  the  room  was  a  wreck,  the  papers  were  hanging 
in  strips,  a  broken  chair  was  blazing  upon  the  fire,  sev- 
eral family  portraits  on  the  wall  were  pierced  with  holes, 
having  evidently  served  the  purpose  of  targets  for  pistol 
shooting.  Ralph's  conductor  left  the  room  for  a 
moment,  and  returned  with  a  very  handsome  drawing- 
room  clock,  worth,  Ralph  knew,  at  least  fifteen  hundred, 
francs. 

"How  much  will  you  give  for  that?" 

Ralph  examined  it  critically. 

"Four  hundred  francs/'  he  said. 

"Nonsense!     It  cost  five  times  that." 

"About  four  times,"  Ralph  said,  "when  it  was  new. 
It  is  not  new  now,  and  it  has  to  be  taken  to  Germany. 
If  you  prefer  it  I  will  carry  it  to  Frankfort,  and  send  it 
on  thence  by  rail,  at  ten  per  cent,  upon  its  value." 

"Yes,  I  will  agree  to  that,"  the  officer  said.  "How 
much  will  that  be?" 

"I  am  content  to  take  it  at  your  own  valution,"  Ralph 
said.  "The  value  you  set  upon  the  clock  was  two  thou- 
sand francs." 

There  was  a  laugh  among  the  other  officers. 

"He  has  you  there,  Major." 

"Not  at  all,"  the  officer  said.  "He  shall  take  it  at 
the  valuation  he  placed  upon  it,  four  hundred  francs." 

"Pardon  me,"  Ralph  said,  "I  did  not  value  it  at  that 
sum,  I  only  offered  to  give  that  sum  for  it;  besides 
which,  that  was  an  estimate  of  the  value  I  set  upon  it  at 
Viroflay,  not  the  value  I  should  set  upon  it  at  Frankfort. 
I  will  say  one  thousand  francs — that  is,  I  will  undertake 
it  at  a  hundred,  if  you  will  get  it  put  into  a  case  of  some 
sort." 

The  other  officers  now  offered  various  objects  either 
for  sale  or  transport — pictures,  vases,  clocks,  and  even 


236  THE  TC  REUB8. 

pianos.  Ralph  haggled  over  the  price  of  each  article,  in 
a  way  which  did  would  have  done  honor  to  his  appear- 
ance. At  last,  having  arranged  all  their  matters,  be 
said  that  he  was  going  on  to  Bellevue,  but  would  call 
and  complete  the  purchases,  and  receive  the  goods 
intrusted  to  him  either  that  night  or  the  next  morning. 

"If  any  of  you  gentlemen  would  kindly  give  me  your 
card  to  give  to  the  officer  of  the  regiment  at  Bellevue, 
saying  that  you  have  found  me  fair  in  my  dealing,  I 
should  feel  very  grateful,"  Ralph  said  humbly.  The 
officer  laughed,  but  one  of  them  took  out  his  card  and 
wrote  upon  it,  "Dear  Von  Koch,  this  man  is,  for  a 
Hebrew,  tolerably  fair  in  his  ideas " 

"That  is  for  the  major  of  the  regiment  at  Bellevue," 
he  said,  and  Ralph  bowed  as  if  he  had  received  a  recom- 
mendation of  the  warmest  kind. 

"I  was  beginning  to  be  alarmed,  Ralph,"  Percy  said, 
when  his  brother  again  took  his  place  in  the  wagon. 

"I  have  been  haggling  over  prices,"  Ralph  said;  "for- 
tunately we  are  not  pressed  for  time." 

They  had  another  stop  of  some  duration  at  Chaville, 
and  it  was  nearly  threo  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  before 
they  came  down  to  the  back  of  Bellevue.  Here  they 
were  stopped,  and  upon  Ralph  producing  his  pass  an 
officer  came  up. 

"You  cannot  go  any  further,"  he  said,  "you  are  close 
to  Bellevue  now,  but  if  you  were  to  take  this  wagon  into 
the  main  road,  you  would  draw  Valerien's  fire  upon 
us  at  once.  You  will  find  most  of  the  officers  there. " 
pointing  to  a  large  house  near. 

"I  have  this  card  for  Major  von  Koch,"  Ralph  said; 
"I  am  here  to  buy  or  carry  home  on  commission,  goods 
of  all  kinds." 

The  officer  went  with  Ralph,  and  the  scene  at  Viroflay 
was  repeated,  but  upon  a  much  larger  scale.     Viroflay  is 


THE  TO  UNO  FRANC-TIBEURS.  237 

a  small  village  containing  only  a  few  large  villas;  Belle- 
vue  is  composed  almost  entirely  of  handsome  residences 
owed  by  Parisians;  the  quantity  of  articles  "'saved"  was 
proportionately  large.  After  examining  and  bargaining 
for  a  large  number  of  valuable  articles  of  furniture,  pic- 
tures and  clocks,  Ealph  left  with  some  of  the  officers  to 
view  other  articles  in  the  villas  upon  the  side  of  Bellevue 
looking  down  upon  the  river.  Percy  had  taken  the 
horses  out  of  the  wagon  and  accompanied  his  brother, 
ostensibly  to  carry  back  any  articles  purchased.  At  one 
of  the  villas,  Ralph  expressed  a  great  desire  to  go  out 
into  the  garden  to  look  over  Paris,  and  the  officer  with 
him,  being  in  an  excellent  humor  at  the  disposal  of  some 
articles  at  much  higher  prices  than  he  had  expected  to 
receive,  and  at  having  the  proceeds  in  German  bank- 
notes in  his  pockets,  went  out  himself,  and  pointed  out 
all  the  various  objects  of  interest. 

The  fog  of  a  winter's  evening  was  already  shutting  in 
the  view,  but  the  boys  could  see  the  principal  buildings 
of  Paris.  The  towers  of  Notre  Dame,  the  domes  of  the 
Pantheon  and  Invalides,  the  heights  of  Montmartre  and 
Vilette,  and  the  forts  of  Issy  and  Vanves  were  distinctly 
visible.  The  boys?  eyes  turned,  however,  more  to  the 
river  at  their  feet  and  the  intervening  ground  than  upon 
the  object  ,  however  interesting,  of  distant  Paris. 

"Do  not  show  yourself,"  the  officer  said.  "If  we 
were  caught  sight  of  from  Issy  or  Point  du  Jour,  or  from 
that  gun-boat  below,  we  should  have  C  rain  of  shells 
about  us  in  no  time.  You  can  look  out  from  among  the 
trees,  but  do  not  get  beyond  their  shelter,  or  you  will  be 
seen  instantly." 

The  house  in  whose  garden  they  were  standing  stood 
upon  the  brow  of  the  hill;  behind  was  a  little  wood,  and 
gardens  sloping  pretty  steeply  down;  then,  along  by  the 
water,  was  a  street,  with  houses  upon  either  side.     The 


238  TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

river  was  here  divided  by  an  island,  the  lower  end  of 
which,  however,  scarcely  extended  low  enough  to  be 
opposite  to  the  spot  upon  which  the  boys  were  standing. 
"Bless  me,"  Ralph  said,  "it  must  be  very  dangerous 
living  down  there.  Why,  that  gunboat  could  blow  the 
place  into  the  air." 

"That  she  could,"  the  officer  said,  "and  consequently 
none  of  our  men  live  there.  We  have  sentries  along  the 
river  bank,  and  a  few  others  scattered  about,  but  none 
of  the  troops  are  quartered  there,  nor  even  in  this  line 
of  villas  where  we  now  are.  If  we  were  to  show  a  light 
at  night  in  any  window  here  we  should  have  a  shell  in 
in  a  couple  of  minutes.  We  have  no  fear  whatever  of  a 
sortie  in  this  direction,  and  have  plenty  of  force  behind." 
Ralph  and  Percy  lingered  upon  one  excuse  or  another 
asking  questions  as  long  as  they  could,  and  making  the 
best  use  of  their  time  to  gain  a  fair  idea  of  the  ground 
that  they  would  have  to  cross.  They  had  with  them  in 
the  wagon  a  map  of  Bellevue  and  Meudon  upon  a  large 
scale,  with  every  house  marked  upon  it. 

"It  is  going  to  be  a  dark  night,"  the  officer  said,  as 
they  hurried  away,  "and  we  shall  have  snow  before  mid- 
night." 

Another  hour  or  two  was  spent  in  purchasing  various 
articles  taken  from  the  French  villas.  Darkness  had 
come  on,  and  Ralph  told  the  officers  that  he  should  not 
return  until  the  next  morning  to  Versailles,  and  that  if 
the  articles  to  be  intrusted  to  his  care  for  delivery  were 
put  in  rough  cases,  of  which  there  were  plenty  which 
had  come  full  of  stores,  and  brought  by  ten  o'clock  in 
the  morning  carefully  directed,  it  would  be  in  sufficient 
time. 

'Will  you  give  us  leave  to  sleep  in  one  of  the  villas 
upon  the  further  side  of  the  road?"  Ralph  asked  the 
officer  in  command.     "My  boy  has  never  seen  a  shot 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  239 

fired  in  earnest,  and  I  should  like  him  to  be  able  to  say 
he  had  watched  the  fire  of  the  forts  round  Paris." 

"If  you  sleep  there,"  the  colonel  said,  "you  must  not 
light  a  fire  or  show  a  light,  or  you  would  bring  the  fire 
of  a  hundred  guns  upon  us." 

"I  will  be  very  careful,  sir,"  Kalph  answered.  "Will 
you  kindly  let  an  orderly  go  with  us  to  pass  us  through 
the  sentries?  for  as  it's  dark  now  they  would  not  let  us 
pass." 

The  colonel  gave  the  order,  and  an  orderly  went  with 
them.  They  stopped  at  the  wagon,  and  each  took  out 
a  large  bundle.  "We  shall  want  our  blankets  to-night," 
Ralph  said;  "it  is  bitterly  cold.  Would  you  like  a  glass 
of  brandy  to  help  keep  it  out,  my  man?" 

The  soldier  smiled  an  assent,  drank  off  a  glass  of 
brandy,  and  then  accompanied  them  to  the  villa.  Short 
as  was  the  distance,  they  were  challenged  twice,  and  the 
sign  and  countersign  had  to  be  exchanged.  They 
reached  the  deserted  villa,  threw  down  the  bundles  in  a 
corner,  and  then  the  orderly  said  good-night,  and  left 
them  to  themselves. 


MO  TME  70V NQ  FRANC-TIUEUR8. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

A   DESPERATE   ATTEMPT. 

"  So  far,  so  good,  Percy !"  Ralph  said,  when  they  heard 
the  street-door  slam  as  the  orderly  left.  "  Hitherto  we 
have  had  the  most  extraordinary  good  fortune,  and  as  it's 
going  to  snow — for  I  felt  a  few  flakes  as  we  came  along — I 
look  upon  it  as  good  as  done." 

"  It  will  take  away  from  us  risk  of  being  hit,  but  I  don't 
see  that  it  will  make  much  difference  in  our  risk  of  being 
drowned/'  Percy  said.  "  I  own,  Ralph,  I  am  a  great  deal 
more  afraid  of  that  than  of  the  other." 

"But  it  does,  Percy;  it  makes  all  the  difference  in  the 
world.  We  had  agreed  that  we  would  put  on  life-belts, 
but  that  we  would  blow  the  smallest  quantity  of  air 
possible  into  them;  so  that  they  might  give  us  some 
slight  assistance,  and  yet  not  be  too  buoyant,  to  prevent 
us  from  diving.  Now  we  can  blow  them  up  with  wind, 
so  as  to  prevent  the  possibility  of  our  being  drowned. 
Once  in  the  water,  and  we  are  safe  from  everything 
except  a  stray  bullet.  In  a  snowstorm,  on  such  a  dark 
night  as  this,  they  could  not  see  our  heads  five  yards 
off." 

"  But  what  is  worse,  Ralph,  we  shall  not  be  able  to  see 
five  yards  either,  and  should  have  no  idea  where  we  were 
swimming." 

"  I  had  not  thought  of  that,  Percy.  Yes,  that  would 
be  very  serious;"  and  Ralph  thought  for  some  time.     "  l£ 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  URS.  241 

seems  a  risk,  this,  Percy;  but  I  can  see  no  plan,  except 
to  draw  their  fire." 

"How  do  yon  mean?"  Percy  asked,  puzzled. 

"You  see,  Percy,  our  idea  before  was  to  get  down  to 
the  shore,  to  put  our  dummy  into  the  water  and  to  let  it 
float  down  a  hundred  yards,  the  length  of  its  string,  and 
then  to  start  ourselves  holding  the  other  end  of  the 
string,  in  hopes  that  if  the  sentries  are  really  sharply  on 
the  lookout,  they  would  see  the  dummy  instead  of  us, 
as  it  will  be  a  much  more  conspicuous  object,  especially 
as  we  intended  to  do  as  much  diving  as  we  could;  and  our 
movements  forward  would  jerk  the  dummy's  string,  and 
make  him  bob,  like  a  man  swimming.  If  they  once 
caught  sight  of  it  they  would  be  too  busy  firing  at  it  to 
look  about  for  any  one  else.  Well,  now,  I  think  that 
instead  of  giving  up  the  dummy  altogether,  as  we  might 
have  done  now  that  the  snow  has  come  on,  we  must  let 
it  float  gently  down  for  seventy  or  eighty  yards,  and 
then  throw  a  stone  into  the  water  by  it,  so  as  to  draw 
the  attention  of  the  sentry;  or,  if  the  sentries  are  pretty 
far  apart,  one  of  us  might  make  a  great  splash  in  the 
water  when  the  dummy  is  floating,  and  then  run  back 
before  the  sentry  got  up,  and  get  into  the  water  quietly 
higher  up.     Their  fire  will  act  as  a  guide  to  us." 

"We  had  better  start  soon,  Ealph;  it  may  take  us  an 
hour,  or  even  two,  to  get  down  to  the  water,  for  we  must 
go  along  like  ghosts,  so  as  not  to  alarm  the  sentries, 
and  we  shall  have  walls  to  get  over,  and  all  sorts  of 
difficulties." 

"All  right,  Percy;  I  do  not  see  the  use  of  waiting. 
We  shall  not  get  any  warmer  by  stopping  here.  It's 
like  having  a  tooth  out:  one's  got  to  do  it,  and  the 
sooner  it's  done  the  better.     Now  for  our  bundles." 

They  went  down  stairs  into  a  cellar,  where  the  light 
could  not  be  seen  from  outside,  struck  a  light,  and  lit  a 


242  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE URS. 

candle.  The  first  thing  taken  out  of  the  bundle  was  the 
"dummy;"  a  net,  rather  larger  than  a  man's  head, 
tightly  filled  with  corks;  with  a  cord  a  hundred  yards 
in  length  attached.  Next  were  two  complete  suits, 
made  of  white  calico,  with  caps,  with  long  flaps  of  the 
same  material.  Next  were  two  large  rolls  of  india- 
rubber  webbing,  about  six  inches  wide,  which  they  had 
brought  from  Tours  with  them. 

"I  can't  think  that  that  will  be  any  good,  Ralph." 

"It  will,  indeed,  Percy;  the  water  will  of  course  soak 
through,  but  what  gets  in  will  remain  in,  and  the  heat 
of  the  body  will  warm  it  a  good  deal.  I  can  assure  you 
it  will  be  a  great  deal  warmer  than  having  the  icy  water 
flowing  past  you." 

Both  boys  now  took  off  their  coats  and  waistcoats,  put 
on  a  warm  flannel  jersey  over  their  flannel  shirts,  and 
then  wound  the  bandages  of  india-rubber  round  each 
other's  bodies.  They  began  under  the  arms,  drawing 
the  webbing  tight  as  they  wound  it  round,  so  that  its 
natural  elasticity  caused  each  turn  to  press  tightly  upon 
the  turn  above,  which  it  overlapped.  This  bandage  was 
continued  down  to  the  lower  part  of  the  body.  Then 
they  put  on  the  life-belts.  Over  them  they  put  their1 
suits  of  white  calico;  white  shoes,  with  india-rubber 
soles;  the  white  caps,  and  swimming  gloves.  They  then 
put  the  "dummy"  in  a  pillow-case,  which  they  had 
bought  for  it  at  Versailles.  Before  putting  on  their  caps 
they  fastened  the  quills  with  the  dispatcnes  in  their 
hair.  In  a  belt  underneath  their  jackets  each  carried  a 
heavy  revolver. 

"This  india-rubber  stuff  regularly  squeezes  me, 
Ralph." 

"All  the  better,  Percy;  you  will  feel  the  benefit  of  it 
when  you  are  in  the  water,  believe  me." 

The  boys  now  knelt  down  together,  and  asked  for  pro- 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  UBS.  2*3 

fcection  through  the  peril  which  they  were  about  to 
encounter;  a  few  minutes  later  they  rose,  grasped  each 
other's  hand,  and  then  blowing  out  the  light,  groped 
their  way  upstairs,  opened  a  window  which  led  into 
the  gardens  and  stepped  out.  The  wind  was  blowing 
strongly,  snowflakes  were  being  whisked  hither  and 
thither  like  spray  from  a  wave.  Had  it  not  been  for  the 
gleam  from  the  snow-covered  ground  it  would  have  been 
impossible  to  see  ten  paces  here;  as  it  was,  it  was  in- 
tensely dark. 

"It's  lucky  that  it's  downhill,  Percy,  or  we  should 
never  find  our  way  to  the  water's  edge;  if  we  keep  de- 
scending we  must  be  there  at  last." 

Before  starting,  the  boys  went  a  few  paces  from  each 
other,  and  were  pleased  to  find  that  their  white  costumes 
suited  admirably,  as  between  the  driving  snow,  and  the 
white  sheet  upon  the  ground,  they  could  not  make  each 
other  out  at  more  than  eight  or  ten  yards,  even  when 
they  knew  exactly  where  they  stood.  They  now  began 
to  descend  the  hill  very  carefully,  step  by  step.  The 
snow  upon  the  ground  made  walking  much  more  easy 
than  it  otherwise  would  have  been.  Their  footsteps, 
muffled  alike  by  the  india-rubber  soles  and  the  snow  upon 
which  they  walked,  were  inaudible  even  to  themselves. 
They  had  several  walls  to  climb,  and  the  noiseless  india- 
rubber  soles  were  of  good  service  here.  Several  times 
they  could  hear  the  sentries  beating  their  feet  upon  the 
ground  to  warm  them,  but  in  no  case  were  they  near 
enough  to  see  them.  At  last,  after  an  hour  and  a  half, 
spent  in  passing  the  three  hundred  yards  which  sepa- 
rated them  from  the  river,  they  reached  in  safety  the 
wall  of  the  road  which  runs  along  by  the  river. 

Here  the  sentries  were  pacing  along  at  distances  of 
thirty  or  forty  yards  apart.  The  white  houses  upon  the 
opposite  side  of  the  road  could  be  faintly  seen,  and  the 


244  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

boys  moved  along  until  opposite  an  opening  between 
them,  by  which  they  could  get  through  to  the  river. 
Looking  over  the  wall  they  could  watch  the  sentries,  and 
choosing  their  time  when  one  had  just  passed,  so  that 
his  back  would  be  turned  toward  them,  he  no  sooner 
disappeared  in  the  darkness  than  they  dropped  noise- 
lessly into  the  road,  ran  across  the  street,  climbed  a  low 
railing,  and  stood  in  a  garden  which  reached  down  to 
the  river. 

They  stood  watching  for  some  time  to  assure  them- 
selves that  no  sentry  was  placed  in  the  garden,  but  at 
last  they  stole  forward,  and  stood  at  the  end  of  the 
garden  with  the  river  at  their  feet.  The  snow,  which 
was  at  their  backs,  was  falling  faster  than  ever.  The 
river  deepened  rapidly  from  the  wall,  but  the  water  was 
low  enough  for  any  one  to  get  along  on  the  sloping  side, 
faced  with  rough  stone,  between  the  foot  of  the  wall  and 
the  water. 

The  boys  got  over  the  wall,  took  the  dummy  from  the 
bag,  and  holding  one  end  of  the  cord,  put  it  quietly  into 
the  water,  and  allowed  it  to  float  down  about  sixty  yards. 

"Now,  Percy,"  Ealph  said,  "you  get  ready  to  slip  in 
to  the  water  as  quietly  as  possible  the  moment  you  hear 
a  splash.  I  will  leave  this  bag  here,  so  as  to  know  ex- 
actly where  you  have  gone  in,  and  as  the  rope  is  plenty 
long  enough,  you  keep  hold  of  it  here,  at  sixty  yards 
from  the  dummy,  and  I  will  fasten  the  slack  end  to  the 
stone,  so  that  when  I  go  in  I  have  only  to  hold  the  rope 
in  my  hand  to  be  able  to  join  you.  I  will  take  this 
heavy  coping  stone  in  my  hand,  will  crawl  along  on  this 
shelving  bank  till  I  arrive  at  the  dummy,  and  will  then 
throw  the  stone  in,  and  run  back  at  full  speed,  and  be 
in  the  water  a  few  seconds  after  you  are." 

"All  right,  Ealph,  I  understand.  Keep  your  pistol 
cocked  in  your  hand  as  you  go." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREUR8. 

Ralph  crept  quietly  along  under  the  wall,  until  he 
saw  the  dummy  floating  at  the  edge  of  the  water  a  few 
feet  below  him.  He  rose  on  his  feet  to  throw  in  the 
stone  when  he  heard  a  deep  exclamation  behind  him, 
and  looking  round,  he  saw  a  dark  figure  within  two  feet 
of  him.  Another  moment,  and  the  sentry  would  have 
brought  his  rifle  to  his  shoulder,  for  he  sprang  back,  giv- 
ing a  loud  shout,  but  Ealph  wheeled  round  instantane- 
ously, threw  up  his  revolver,  and  fired  at  the  sentinel's 
body.  He  saw  him  fall,  turned  round,  hurled  the  heavy 
stone  with  a  loud  splash  into  the  water,  and  then  crawl- 
ing low  under  the  wall,  ran  at  full  speed  back  again. 
As  he  did  so  two  sentries  in  the  garden  over  his  head, 
fired  in  the  direction  of  the  splash  in  the  water,  and 
shouts  were  heard  all  along  the  bank. 

In  another  instant  Ealph  grasped  the  line,  and  slid 
down  the  snowy  slopes  into  the  water,  entering  so 
quietly  that  no  sound  whatever  betrayed  his  entry.  It 
was  icy  cold,  and  almost  took  away  his  breath.  Twenty 
strokes  and  he  joined  Percy. 

"All  right,  old  man,  they  can't  see  us  now." 

"You  are  not  hit,  are  you,  Ralph?"  Percy  gasped. 

"No,  it  was  my  revolver;  I  had  to  shoot  a  sentry  to 
save  my  life.  It's  lucky  we  have  got  these  life  belts  on, 
for  I  am  sure  we  should  never  get  across. " 

"There!  there!"  was  shouted  in  German,  "I  see  his 
head  bobbing  up  and  clown,"  and  eight  or  ten  rifle  shots 
were  fired  from  the  garden  where  the  sentry  had  fallen, 
in  the  direction  of  the  dummy. 

The  boys  swam  on  desperately,  then  Ralph  said,  "You 
can  slip  the  string  now,  Percy,  the  dummy  has  done  its 
work;  it  must  be  quite  out  of  sight  from  the  bank.  Do 
not  you  feel  the  benefit  of  the  india  rubber?" 

"Yes,"  Percy  said,  "I  am  warm  enough  in  the  body, 
but  my  legs  are  in  agony,  from  the  cold.  These  gloves 
are  helping  us  on,  though,  at  a  great  rate." 


UQ  THE  YOTJNG-FRANC-TIREURS. 

"Well,  there  is  one  blessing,"  Ralph  said;  "we  can't 
miss  the  way  now." 

As  he  spoke  a  heavy  fire  of  musketry  opened  from  the 
French  upon  the  other  side.  Alarmed  at  the  sudden 
fire  on  the  part  of  the  Germans  they  fired  at  the  flashes 
of  their  guns,  and  fresh  reinforcements  coming  up  on 
either  side,  a  heavy  exchange  of  musketry  shots  took 
place  across  the  river,  partially  over  the  boys'  heads,  but 
principally  a  hundred  yards  lower  down  the  stream,  in 
the  direction  where  the  dummy  was  seen  by  the  Ger- 
mans. The  boys  swam  with  long,  steady,  noiseless 
strokes. 

"We  must  be  half  way  across,"  Ralph  said. 

"I  am  getting  deadly  cold  all  over,  Ralph;  I  can't 
sink,  of  course,  but  I  shall  freeze  to  death  before  I  reach 
the  opposite  bank." 

"No,  no,  Percy,"  Ralph  said,  as  cheerily  as  he  could, 
though  he  felt,  himself,  that  the  intense  cold  was  rapidly 
overcoming  his  strength.  "Keep  up  your  heart,  strike 
as  hard  as  you  can;  the  more  you  exert  yourself  the 
better." 

In  another  minute  or  two  Ralph  found  he  was  leaving 
Percy  behind,  and  slackened  his  speed. 

"Good-by,  Ralph,  my  legs  are  all  cramped  up,  and 
my  arms  are  numbed;  I  can't  swim  another  stroke;  it 
is  all  up  with  me,"  he  said  faintly.  "God  bless  you; 
don't  stop  with  me;  you  can  do  no  good,  and  your  only 
chance  is  to  go  on." 

Ralph,  however,  put  one  hand  upon  Percy's  life  belt 
and  struck  out  for  shore,  but  he  felt  that  it  was  hope- 
less. Frightful  pains  were  shooting  through  his  limbs, 
and  he  breathed  what  he  believed  to  be  a  last  prayer, 
when  a  boom  like  thunder,  a  few  yards  off,  galvanized 
him  into  life  again,  for  he  saw  the  gunboat  which  they 
had  seen  in  the  morning,  only  a  few  yards  distant.     She 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  247 

had  just  fired  a  gun  loaded  with  grape  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  Germans  who  were  firing.  She  was  still  at 
anchor,  and  the  stream  was  drifting  them  down  fast 
npon  her. 

"Help!"  Ralph  shouted.  "Help!  we  are  drowning, 
and  have  dispatches.     Throw  a  rope,  quick !" 

"Where  are  you?"  answered  a  voice. 

"Here,  close  to  you,  just  abreast,"  Ralph  shouted. 

In  another  instant  a  rope  struck  his  face.  He  grasped 
it,  twisted  it  tightly  round  Percy's  body  and  his  own, 
tied  a  rough  knot  with  his  last  strength,  and  then  lost 
consciousness.  When  he  recovered  his  senses  his  first 
sensation  was  that  of  intense  pain,  so  intense  that  it  ex- 
tracted a  groan  from  him. 

"That's  right,  rub  away,  and  pour  some  more  brandy 
down  his  throat,"  a  voice  said.  Then  he  became  con- 
scious that  he  was  being  rubbed  with  hot  flannels.  He 
opened  his  eyes  and  saw  a  gleaming  of  moving  machinery 
and  the  red  glare  of  furnaces. 

"Where  am  I?"  he  asked,  at  last. 

"In  the  engine-room  of  the  gunboat  Farcey,"  a  voice 
said. 

"I  am  suffering  agony,"  Ralph  murmured  between  his 
teeth. 

"I  dare  say,"  the  officer  who  was  standing  hy  him 
answered.  "You  were  pretty  near  frozen  to  death. 
Luckily  your  life  belts  kept  you  from  taking  in  any 
water;  but  it  was  a  near  squeak;  another  three  minutes 
in  the  water  and  the  doctor  says  it  would  have  been  all 
up  with  you." 

"Where  is  my  brother?"  Ralph  asked  suddenly,  sit- 
ting up  with  a  full  consciousness  of  all  that  had  passed. 

"He  is  coming  round,"  the  officer  said.  "He  was 
further  gone  than  you  were,  and  his  heart's  action  was 
altogether    suspended   from   the   cold;     his    limbs    are 


248  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

twitching  now,  and  the  doctor  says  he  will  do.  You 
call  him  your  brother,  but  I  suppose  you  mean  your 
son?" 

"Please  lend  me  some  clothes,"  Ealph  said.  "lean 
stand  now." 

Some  clothes  had  already  been  got  in  readiness  and 
warmed,  and  in  a  couple  of  minutes  Ealph  was  kneeling 
by  his  brother's  side.  Percy  was  now  coming  to,  and 
was  suffering  agonies  similar  to  those  which  Ealph  him- 
self had  experienced  from  the  recommencement  of  cir- 
culation in  his  limbs.  Ho  looked  round  utterly  bewil- 
dered, for  he  had  become  insensible  before  the  Farcey's 
gun  had  given  notice  of  her  proximity.  He  smiled, 
however,  when  his  eyes  fell  on  Ealph 's  face. 

"It  is  all  right,  Percy,  thank  God,"  Ealph  said.  "We 
are  on  board  the  gunboat  Farcey,  and  in  ten  minutes 
we  shall  be  landed  in  the  heart  of  Paris." 

In  another  live  minutes  Percy  was  sufficiently  recov- 
ered to  begin  to  dress.  The  commander  of  the  Farcey 
now  turned  to  Ealph. 

"Your  son  has  had  a  very  narrow  shave  of  it,  sir." 

"Son!"  Ealph  said;  "he  is  my  brother." 

The  officer  looked  surprised. 

"How  old  do  you  take  me  to  be?"  Ealph  asked. 

"Forty-five  or  fifty,"  the  officer  said. 

"I  shall  not  be  seventeen  for  some  months,"  Ealph 
answered. 

The  officer  looked  at  him  with  an  air  of  intense  aston- 
ishment, and  there  was  a  burst  of  laughter  from  the  men 
standing  round.  The  commandant  frowned  angrily  at 
them. 

"Quite  so,  my  dear  sir,"  he  said  soothingly.  "I  was 
only  joking  with  you;  it  is  evident  that  you  are  not  yet 
seventeen." 

"You  think  I  have  lost  my  senses   with  the  shock," 


THE  YOUNG  FRANO-TIUEURS.  249 

Ralph  said,  smiling.  "I  can  assure  you  that  that  is  my 
age.  My  beard  and  whiskers  are  so  firmly  fixed  on  with 
cobbler's  wax  that  I  shall  have  an  awful  trouble  to  get 
them  off,  and  my  hair  the  same.  If  you  feel  along  here 
from  one  ear  to  the  other  you  will  feel  a  ridge;  that  is 
the  cobbler's  wax  that  sticks  all  this  mass  of  frizzled  hair 
on.  Did  you  not  notice  that  both  my  brother's  and  my 
face  and  hands  were  much  darker  than  the  rest  of  our 
skin?" 

"Yes,  the  doctor  did  notice  that,"  the  captain  said, 
now  beginning  to  think  that  Ealph  was  not  insane  after 
all.  Passing  his  finger  where  Ealph  directed  him,  he 
felt  the  ridge  of  the  false  hair. 

"Who  are  you,  then,  may  I  ask?"  he  said. 

"My  brother  and  myself  are  named  Barclay,"  Ralph 
said.  "We  are  lieutenants  in  the  army,  and  are  both 
decorated  for  service  in  the  field.  We  left  Tours  four 
days  ago,  and  are  bearers  of  dispatches  from  Gambetta 
to  General  Trochu." 

A  cheer  broke  from  all  who  were  standing  within  hear- 
ing, and  the  boys'  hands,  for  Percy  came  up  at  the 
moment,  were  warmly  shaken  by  the  officers  of  the  boat 
one  after  another.  Congratulations  of  all  sorts  were 
heaped  upon  them,  and  those  around  were  unable  to 
make  enough  of  them. 

"No  pigeon  has  come  in  for  ten  days,"  the  commander 
said.     "You  will  indeed  be  welcome." 

At  this  moment  a  sailor  came  down  to  say  that  they 
were  passing  the  Louvre,  and  in  another  two  minutes  the 
gunboat  lay  alongside  the  wharf. 

"You  do  not  know,  I  suppose,  where  Trochu  is  to  be 
found?"  the  commander  of  the  Farcey  asked. 

"No,  indeed,"  Ralph  said. 

"1  will  go  with  you  myself,"  the  officer  said.  "If  the 
general  has  gone  to  bed,  we  must  knock  him  up.  He 
-won't  mi  ltd  when  he  hears  the  reason." 


$60  THE  YOUNG  FMANC-TIREUR8. 

It  was  but  a  short  distance  to  walk,  but  the  boys  had 
great  difficulty  in  getting  there,  for  their  limbs  were  stiff 
and  aching,  and  they  felt  a  burning  sensation  all  over 
them  as  if  they  had  been  dipped  in  boiling  water.  Gen- 
eral Trochu  had  not  yet  gone  to  bed,  and  upon  the  mes- 
sage being  delivered  by  the  orderly,  "The  commander  of 
the  Farcey,  with  officers  bearing  dispatches  from  Tours," 
he  ordered  them  to  be  instantly  admitted. 

"These  are  Lieutenants  Barclay,  General/'  the  com- 
mander of  the  Farcey  said.  "A  heavy  firing  broke  out 
suddenly  from  the  water  side  at  Lower  Meudon.  It  was 
answered  from  our  side,  and  thinking  that  it  might  be 
some  one  trying  to  swim  across,  1  fired  a  round  of  grape 
into  the  Germans,  and  ordered  a  sharp  lookout  to  be 
kept.  I  had  scarcely  spoken  the  words  before  we  were 
hailed  for  a  rope,  and  in  another  minute  these  officers, 
both  insensible  from  cold,  were  pulled  on  board.  Think- 
ing they  might  have  dispatches,  I  at  once  started  up  the 
river,  and  when  they  were  brought  round  by  the  surgeon, 
they  stated  that  they  were  the  Lieutenants  Barclay, 
bearers  of  dispatches  from  Tours." 

"Gallantly  done,  gentlemen;  bravely  done!"  the  gen- 
eral said  warmly,  shaking  both  boys  by  the  hand.  The 
burning  heat  of  Percy's  hand  struck  him  at  once. 
"Where  are  your  dispatches,  gentlemen?  you  have  pre- 
served them,  I  hope?" 

Balph  produced  the  two  quills.  "They  are  duplicate, 
general,"  he  said.  "We  each  carried  one  in  case  any 
accident  might  befall  one  of  us." 

"Thank  you,"  the  general  said.  "I  need  now  detain 
you  no  longer.  I  have  work  here  for  all  night,  and  you 
had  better  go  instantly  to  bed.  Your  brother  is  in  a 
high  state  of  fever."  He  touched  a  bell,  and  an  officer 
in  waiting  came  in.  "Captain  Bar,  will  you  kindly  take 
these  gentlemen  to  a  hotel  at  once.     The  horses  are,  as 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUI18.  251 

usual,  in  the  carriage,  I  suppose;  and,"  he  dropped  his 
voice,  "send  a  message  from  me  to  request  Dr.  Marcey 
to  see  them  at  once;  the  younger  one  is  in  a  state  of  high 
fever." 

In  another  quarter  of  an  hour  the  boys  were  in  com- 
fortable beds  in  rooms  adjoining  each  other.  Ralph,  who 
was  heavy  and  stupid  with  the  effects  of  the  cold,  was 
asleep  almost  the  instant  his  head  touched  the  pillow. 
He  was  roused  a  short  time  afterward  by  being  shaken, 
and  opening  his  eyes  he  saw  some  one  leaning  over  him. 
"Drink  this,"  the  gentleman  said,  holding  a  glass  to  his 
lips.  Ralph  mechanically  did  as  he  was  told,  and  fell  off 
again  into  a  heavy  sleep,  from  which  he  did  not  awake 
until  late  the  next  afternoon.  His  first  impulse  was  to 
look  at  his  watch.  It  had  stopped  at  eleven  o'clock  the 
night  before,  the  hour  at  which  he  had  entered  the  Seine. 
Then  he  rang  the  bell. 

"What  o'clock  is  it?"  he  asked,  when  the  servant 
entered. 

"Just  struck  five,  sir." 

"What,  five  in  the  afternoon!"  Ralph  exclaimed. 

'"Yes,  sir." 

"I  have  slept,"  Ralph  said,  with  a  laugh.     "'How- 
ever, I  feel  all  right  again  now.     Is  my  brother  up?" 

"No,  sir,"  the  man  said. 

"Percy!"  Ralph  shouted;  "it  is  five  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.     Get  up." 

"The  other  gentleman  is  not  in  the  next  room,  sir," 
the  servant  said. 

"Is  he  not?"  Ralph  said,  puzzled.  "I  was  desperately 
sleepy  last  night,  certainly;  but  not  too  sleepy,  I  should 
have  thought,  to  have  made  a  mistake  about  that.  I  feel 
sure  he  was  in  the  next  room." 

"He  was,  sir,"  the  servant  said;  "but  Dr.  Marcey, 
wh«m  he  came  to  see  y°u  Just  after  you  got  into  bed, 


25«  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

ordered  him  to  be  carried  at  once  into  another  room,  in 
order  that  he  might  not  disturb  you.  He  said  it  was 
essential  that  you  should  have  your  sleep  out  undis- 
turbed." 

"But  why  should  my  brother  disturb  me?"  Balph 
asked  anxiously;  "is  he  not  well?" 

"No,  sir,  he  has  got  fever.  He  has  been  calling  out  a 
great  deal.  He  has  got  two  sisters  with  him,  and  the 
doctor  has  been  every  hour." 

By  this  time  Ralph  was  out  of  bed. 

"Here  are  some  clothes,  sir,"  the  man  said,  handing 
them  to  him.  "The  landlord  thought  you  would  want 
some  at  once  when  you  woke,  and  ordered  three  or  four 
suits  for  you  to  try."  Ralph  seized  the  first  that  came 
to  hand,  and  threw  them  on. 

"All  Paris  was  talking  about  your  getting  through  the 
enemy  last  night,  sir;  there  have  been  hundreds  of  peo- 
ple here  to  call." 

Ralph  did  not  even  hear  what  was  said.  "Now,"  he 
said,  "take  me  to  him  at  once." 

The  servant  led  Ralph  along  a  passage,  and  stopped  at 
a  door,  at  which  he  knocked.  A  sister  of  mercy  opened 
the  door.  "This  is  the  other  gentleman."  The  sister 
opened  the  door  for  Ralph  to  enter. 

"He  is  quiet  now,"  she  said  in  a  soft,  compassionate 
tone.  Ralph  went  into  the  room.  Percy  lay  in  the  bed 
with  his  head  surrounded  with  ice.  His  face  was 
flushed,  and  his  eyes  wild.  He  was  moving  uneasily 
about,  talking  to  himself. 

"It  is  that  schoolmaster  who  is  at  the  bottom  of  it," 
he  muttered.  "He  was  a  traitor,  and  I  thought  we  hung 
him,  but  I  suppose  we  didn't.  Perhaps  he  got  down 
after  we  had  gone  off.  If  not,  how  could  he  have 
betrayed  us  again?  I  have  heard  of  liquid  fire,  but  that 
was  liquid  ice.     It  got  into  my  veins  somehow  instead  of 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  253 

blood.  I  tell  you,  Ralph,  it's  no  good.  I  can't  stand  it 
any  longer,  but  I  will  pay  off  that  schoolmaster  first. 
Let  me  get  at  him,"  and  he  made  an  effort  to  rise. 

The  sister  tried  to  restrain  him,  but  so  violent  were 
his  efforts  to  rise  that  Ralph,  who  was  looking  on  with 
tears  streaming  down  his  cheeks,  was  obliged  to  assist  to 
hold  him  down.  When  he  became  quiet  the  sister  forced 
some  medicine  between  his  lips,  Ralph  holding  up  his 
head. 

"Shall  I  speak  to  him?"  Ralph  asked.  "He  may 
know  my  voice." 

"Better  not,  sir,"  the  nurse  said;  "it  would  probably 
only  set  him  off  again." 

"What  does  the  doctor  say  about  him?"  Ralph  asked. 

"He  says  it  is  brain  fever,"  the  nurse  said.  "He  only 
said  it  might  be  some  days  before  the  crisis  came,  and 
that  he  could  not  give  any  decided  opinion  at  present; 
but  he  seemed  to  have  hope." 

"Thank  God  at  least  for  that!"  Ralph  said  earnestly. 
Percy,  turning  his  head  round  again,  caught  sight  of 
Ralph.  "Ah,  there  is  that  schoolmaster  again!  If  no 
one  else  will  hang  him,  I  will  do  it  myself.  Let  me  get 
at  him!"  And  he  again  made  desperate  efforts  to  get 
out  of  bed. 

"You  had  better  go,  sir,"  one  of  the  sisters  said 
urgently.  "The  sight  of  you  makes  him  worse,  and 
you  can  do  him  no  good." 

Seeing  that  it  was  so,  Ralph  reluctantly  left  the  room, 
his  only  comfort  being  that  Percy  was  as  carefully  tended 
and  looked  after  as  it  was  possible  for  him  to  be.  He 
had  scarcely  returned  to  his  room  when  an  officer  was 
shown  in.  "I  dare  say  you  hardly  remember  me,"  he 
said.     "I  came  here  with  you  last  night." 

"I  am  very  glad  to  see  you  again,  and  to  thank  you  for 
the  trouble  you  took,"  Ralph  said.  "I  was  too  sleepy  to 
do  so  last  night." 


254  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

"Not  at  all,"  the  officer  answered.  "However,  I  &*n 
here  with  a  message  from  the  general  now.  He  would 
have  asked  yon  to  dine  with  him,  but  hearing  of  the 
state  of  your  brother  he  could  not  ask  you  to  leave  him 
for  so  long  a  time;  but  he  would  be  glad  if  you  would 
oome  to  see  him  for  an  hour  this  evening.  He  wishes  to 
know  how  you  managed  to  pass  through  the  German 
lines,  and  he  also  desires  to  be  informed,  as  far  as  you 
can  give  such  information,  of  the  number  and  position 
of  the  enemy.  What  surprises  us  all  more  than  anything 
is  that  the  dispatches  are  dated  the  morning  of  the  13th 
instant,  and  you  were  picked  up  by  the  Farcey  upon  the 
evening  of  the  16th.  It  seems  incredible  that  you  should 
have  done  the  distance  and  managed  to  get  through  the 
German  lines  in  the  time.  Only  one  other  messenger 
has  got  through,  and  his  dispatches  were  more  than  ten 
days  old  when  they  reached  us,  and  had  been  forestalled 
by  some  pigeons.  Your  news  is  six  days  later  than  any 
we  have  received. "• 

"We  slept  on  the  night  of  the  13th  at  Montargis," 
Ralph  said,  "on  the  14th  at  Melun,  on  the  loth  at  Ver- 
sailles, and  last  night,  as  you  know,  here." 

"I  must  not  get  the  information  before  the  general," 
the  officer  said,  with  a  laugh.  "It  is  half-past  six  now; 
the  general  dines  at  seven.  At  what  time  will  you  be 
with  him?    Shall  we  say  nine?" 

"I  will  be  there  at  nine,"  Ralph  said;  "but  the  gen- 
eral will,  I  hope,  excuse  my  coming  either  in  uniform  or 
full  dress  of  any  kind.  I  have,  of  course,  nothing  with 
me." 

"General  Trochu  will,  of  course,  understand  that," 
the  officer  said.     "Good-by." 

Ralph  now  went  back  to  Percy's  room.  The  doctor 
had  just  come.  He  was  accompanied  by  another  medical 
man.    Ralph  stood  by  in  silent  attention  while  the  doctor 


1HE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIUEURS.  v£55 

felt  Percy's  pulse  and  asked  a  few  questions  of  the 
nurse.  They  then  gave  some  orders,  and  said  that  fresh 
medicine  should  be  sent  in  in  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  and 
that  they  would  come  in  again  at  ten  o'clock  to  see  how 
he  was  going  on. 

"What  do  you  think  of  him,  sir?"  Ralph  asked,  as  the 
doctor  came  out. 

"He  has  a  sharp  attack  of  brain  fever,"  the  doctor 
said;  "but  he  is  young,  with  an  excellent  constitution. 
I  trust  we  shall  pull  him  through.  I  cannot  say  any- 
thing for  certain  at  present,  till  the  fever  takes  a  turn 
one  way  or  the  other,  but  I  have  strong  hopes." 

Ralph  ordered  some  dinner  to  be  sent  up  to  his  room, 
for  he  began  to  be  keenly  awake  to  the  fact  that  he  had 
eaten  nothing  for  more  than  twenty-four  hours.  After 
he  had  taken  the  meal  he  sat  in  Percy's  room  until  it 
was  time  to  go  to  General  Trochu's,  keeping  himself, 
however,  in  a  position  so  as  to  be  hidden  by  the  curtain, 
for  the  sight  of  him  evidently  excited  the  patient.  Percy 
was,  as  far  as  his  brother  could  see,  in  just  the  same 
state  as  before:  sometimes  talking  to  himself  in  discon- 
nected sentences,  sometimes  raving  wildly,  and  imagining 
himself  repeating  the  scenes  through  which  he  had 
passed  since  he  left  home. 

At  nine  o'clock  exactly  Ealph  sent  in  his  name  to  the 
governor,  and  was  at  once  shown  in.  The  general  had 
already  left  the  table,  and  was  smoking  in  a  small  study. 
"With  him  were  Generals  Ducrot  and  Vinoy.  General 
Trochu  rose  and  shook  him  cordially  by  the  hand,  pre- 
sented him  to  the  other  generals,  and  asked  him  to  take 
a  cigar  and  sit  down. 

"Generals  Ducrot  and  Vinoy  are  surprised,  I  see,  at 
your  appearance,  Captain  Barclay,"  General  Trochu 
began.  "By  the  way,"  he  interrupted  himself,  "yon  are 
in  the  Gazette  this  morning  as  captain."     Ralph  bowed 


256  THE  YOUNG  FllAXC-TIiiEURS. 

and  expressed  his  thanks.  "No  thanks  are  due  at  all, 
Captain  Barclay,"  the  old  veteran  said.  "You  have 
well  earned  your  promotion,  and  Gambetta,  who  speaks 
of  you,  I  may  say,  in  the  highest  terms,  tells  me  that  he 
promised  you  the  step  if  you  got  in.  I  need  not  say  that 
whether  he  had  done  so  or  not  I  should  have  given  it  to 
you.  But  I  was  saying,  I  see  Generals  Vinoy  and  Duerot 
are  surprised,  as  I  am  myself,  at  your  appearance. 
Gambetta  in  his  letter  twice  uses  the  expression  young 
officers.  Once  he  said,  'These  young  officers  have  greatly 
distinguished  themselves,  and  have  gained  the  cross  of 
the  legion  of  honor;'  and  again  he  says,  'These  young 
officers  have  volunteered  to  carry  dispatches.'  Naturally 
my  friends  were  looking  for  a  younger  man,  and  having 
only  seen  you  for  an  instant  last  night,  and  not  having 
observed  your  features  specially,  I  confess  that  I  was  ex- 
pecting a  younger  man.  You  see,"  he  said,  with  a  smile, 
"we  can  quite  understand  Gambetta's  calling  your 
brother  a  young  officer,  for  he  is  a  mere  lad,  but  one 
would  hardly  have  applied  the  same  term  to  yourself." 

Ealph  had  flushed  crimson  at  the  commencement  of 
this  speech.  "I  must  apologize  very  greatly,  general," 
he  said,  when  the  governor  of  Paris  stopped.  "For  the 
mistake  is  certainly  due  to  my  own  forgetfulness."  His 
hearers  looked  surprised.  "I  slept  until  five  o'clock  this 
afternoon,"  Ealph  continued,  "owing,  I  believe,  to  a 
powerful  opiate  that  the  doctor  you  kindly  sent  us  gave 
me.  Since  I  woke  my  thoughts  have  been  entirely  given 
to  my  brother,  and  the  thought  of  my  singular  appear- 
ance never  entered  my  mind.  I  have  become  so  accus- 
tomed, in  the  few  days  since  I  left  Tours,  to  this  beard, 
mustache,  and  hair,  that  I  never  thought  of  them  for  a 
moment.  Had  I  thought  of  it,  I  could  not  have  pre- 
sented myself  before  you  this  evening,  for  I  should  not 
have  presumed  to  do  so  in  my  present  state,  and  it  will 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  257 

take  me  some  hours  of  hard  work,  and  not  a  little  pain, 
before  I  get  rid  of  them,  for  they  are  fastened  on  with 
shoemaker's  wax,  and  I  fear  will  not  come  off  without 
taking  a  considerable  portion  of  skin  with  them." 

The  three  generals  laughed  heartily  at  Ralph's  apol- 
ogy, and  their  own  mistake,  and  General  Trochu  then 
asked  him  to  give  them  a  full  account  of  what  had  hap- 
pened to  him,  what  he  had  seen,  and  what  information 
he  had  gained  since  he  left  Tours.  Ealph  told  the  story 
unaffectedly,  from  beginning  to  end,  and  received  warm 
commendation  from  his  listeners. 

"Your  story  began  at  Tours,"  General  Trochu  said; 
"where  had  you  last  been  before  that?" 

*'We  had  only  arrived  ten  days  before  from  a  German 
prison,"  Ralph  answered. 

The  generals  all  laughed.  "You  are  adventurous  fel- 
lows, you  and  your  brother,"  General  Vinoy  said.  "How 
did  you  get  taken,  and  how  did  you  get  out?" 

Ralph  again  told  his  story.  "You  are  cool  hands,  you 
Barclays,"  General  Ducrot  said;  "how  did  you  get  com- 
missions first — were  you  at  the  Polytechnic  or  St.  Cyr?" 

"No,  General,"  Ralph  said  modestly,  "we  had  no  such 
advantages.  We  won  our  commissions,  and  the  Cross  of 
the  Legion  in  the  Vosges  as  franc-tireurs." 

"In  which  corps?"  General  Trochu  asked,  a  little 
sharply.  "They  have  not  done  any  very  great  things, 
the  franc-tireurs." 

"We  were  in  the  franc-tireurs  of  Dijon,"  Ralph  said, 
a  little  proudly.  "We  several  times  beat  superior  forces; 
we  blew  up  the  bridge  of  the  Vezouse,  and  should  have 
blown  up  the  tunnel  of  Saverne  had  it  not  been  for 
treachery." 

"Yes,  yes,"  General  Trochu  said,  "I  remember  Gam- 
betta  has  once  or  twice  mentioned  your  corps  especially. 
You  see,  we  don't  hear  much  from  outside.     Let  us  hear 


258  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

of  the  affairs  you  have  mentioned.  Your  account  will 
give  us  a  better  idea  of  the  state  of  things  in  the  Vosges 
than  fifty  dispatches  would  do.'' 

Thus  asked,  Ealph  gave  an  account  of  the  doings  of 
the  corps  from  the  day  they  arrived  in  the  Vosges  to  the 
day  he  had  left  tnem,  reduced  to  a  fourth  of  their  original 
strength.  The  three  generals  sat  and  smoked  their 
cigars  while  he  spoke,  asking  questions  occasionally. 

"Very  good,"  General  Trochu  said,  when  he  finished, 
and  the  other  generals  cordially  assented. 

"But  how  come  you  to  speak  German  so  well?"  Gen- 
eral Trochu  asked;  "and  how  was  it  you  understood  the 
English  in  which  the  officer  spoke  at  Saverne?" 

"We  are  English, "  Ralph  said,  and  his  hearers  gave  a 
simultaneous  start  of  surprise.  "That  is  to  say,  our 
nationality  is  English,  though  we  are  half-French.  Our 
father,  an  officer  in  the  English  army,  was  wounded,  left 
the  service,  married  a  French  lady,  and  settled  in  France 
for  a  time.  We  have  been  educated  partly  in  England, 
Germany,  and  France,  so  that  we  speak  the  three  lan- 
guages nearly  equally  well." 

"Well,  Captain  Barclay,"  General  Trochu  said,  "I 
am  almost  sorry  that  you  are  not  French,  for  you  would 
be  a  credit  to  any  country.  And  now  I  think  it  is  time 
to  be  going  to  bed,"  and  he  drew  out  his  watch.  "Bless 
me,  it  is  one  o'clock.  I  had  no  idea  it  was  so  late. 
Good-night.  I  will  not  ask  you  call  again  for  a  day  or 
two,  as  your  brother  will  naturally  occupy  your  atten- 
tion and  care.  I  trust  that  I  shall  soon  hear  good  news 
of  him." 

"Good-night,  Captain  Barclay,"  the  other  generals 
said  cordially,  each  giving  him  their  hands;  and  Ralph 
made  his  way  across  the  dark  streets — for  there  was  no 
gas — back  to  his  hotel.  He  went  at  once  up  to  Percy's 
room,  and  found  that  if  not  decidedly  better,  he  was  at 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  259 

least  no  worse,  and  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  who  were 
nnrsing  him,  said  that  the  doctors  had  spoken  hope- 
fully at  their  last  visit.  Ealph  had  intended  to  sit  up 
all  night,  but  the  nurses  assured  him  that  he  could  be  of 
no  use  whatever,  and  indeed  that  he  would  be  worse 
than  useless,  as  his  presence  excited  Percy.  They  them- 
selves were  keeping  watch  by  turns.  Accordingly 
Ralph,  who  still  felt  the  effect  of  the  cold  immersion, 
went  off  to  bed,  and,  in  spite  of  the  late  hour  at  which 
he  had  risen,  was  in  a  few  minutes  sound  asleep. 


260  1HE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIHEUm. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A   BALLOON  VOYAGE. 

For  forty-eight  hours  Percy's  fever  and  delirium 
continued  unabated.  At  the  end  of  that  time  he  fell 
into  a  long  sleep,  and  the  doctor,  as  he  felt  his  hand  and 
heard  his  breathing,  told  his  brother  that  he  thought 
the  crisis  was  over,  and  that  he  would  awaken  conscious. 
His  progostication  turned  out  well  founded,  and  to 
Ralph's  intense  delight  Percy  knew  him  when  he  opened 
his  eyes.  He  was  weak — weaker  than  Ralph  could  have 
supposed  any  one  could  possibly  have  become  after  only 
two  days'  illness.     But  he  was  fairly  convalescent. 

Ralph  had  scarcely  left  him  during  these  two  days, 
and  had  only  been  out  once  from  the  hotel.  He  had 
sent  for  a  newspaper,  to  read  for  himself  in  the  Gazette 
the  promotion  which  General  Trochu  had  notified  to 
him,  and  after  doing  so  he  turned  to  another  portion, 
and  there,  among  the  lists  of  decoration  given,  were  the 
names  of  Percy  and  himself  as  promoted  to  be  Command- 
ers of  the  Legion,  for  having  with  extreme  gallantry  con- 
veyed dispatches  from  Tours  to  Paris  through  the 
German  lines.  It  was  after  reading  this  newspaper  that 
Ralph  went  out.  His  walk  was  not  a  long  one.  He 
went  first  to  a  tailor  and  ordered  two  captain's  uniforms, 
for  Percy  was  so  nearly  his  own  size  that,  except  that 
his  shoulders  were  an  inch  less  in  width,  Ralph's  clothes 
fitted  him  exactly.  He  then  went  to  the  Palais  Royal, 
where  there  are  several  shops  which  sell  nothing  but 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  261 

medais  and  decorations,  and  bought  two  ribbons  of  the 
commander's  rank  in  the  legion  of  honor. 

One  terrible  morning  Kalph  spent  in  a  hairdresser's 
hand,  and  at  the  cost  of  no  little  pain  got  rid  of  all  that 
mass  of  hair  which  had  so  transformed  him.  The  stain 
was  now  nearly  worn  off  the  skin  and  Ralph  was  quite 
surprised  when  he  again  looked  at  himself  in  the  glass. 

"I  was  about  beginning  to  forget,"  he  said  with  a 
laugh,  "that  I  was  a  boy  after  all." 

The  first  day  of  Percy's  convalescence  he  dozed  a  good 
deal,  but  the  next  day  he  woke  much  brighter  and 
better. 

"Look  here,  Percy,"  Ealph  said,  laying  the  ribbon 
before  him;  "that's  better  than  medicine  for  yon. 
There  is  the  ribbon  of  a  commander  of  the  legion  of 
honor.  You  can  safely  boast  that  you  are  the  youngest 
who  ever  wore  it,  and  earned  it  well,  too,  old  man;  won't 
they  be  pleased  at  home? — and  we  are  both  gazetted  as 
captains." 

Percy  smiled  with  pleasure.  His  attack  had  been  a 
very  sharp  one,  but  so  short  an  illness,  however  severe, 
is  speedily  got  over.  The  doctor  had  that  morning  said 
that  all  he  wanted  now  was  building  up,  and  that  in  a 
very  few  days  he  would  be  about.  Indeed,  Percy 
wanted  to  get  up  that  day,  insisting  that  he  was  quite 
strong.  When  he  once  stood  up,  however,  he  found  he 
was  much  weaker  than  he  had  imagined,  but  sat  up  in 
an  armchair  all  the  evening.  The  next  day  he  remained 
up  all  day,  and  three  days  after  he  felt  strong  enough 
to  go  to  the  governor  with  Ealph  to  ask  for  their 
promised  places  in  the  next  balloon.  It  was  now  the 
23d  of  November.  A  carriage  was  sent  for,  and  after 
some  difficulty  procured,  for  carriages  were  already  be- 
coming scarce  in  Paris.  They  drove  up  to  the  entrance 
and  went  in,  but  were  told  by  an  orderly — who  could 


262  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

scarcely  conceal  his  surprise  at  these  lads  in  the  uniform 
of  captains  of  the  staff,  and  with  decorations  scarcely 
ever  seen  except  upon  the  breasts  of  superior  officers — 
that  the  general  was  out.  They  turned  and  went  out, 
but  as  they  reached  the  steps  a  number  of  officers  rodo 
up. 

"There  is  General  Trochu  himself,  with  Vinoy  and 
Ducrot,"  Ealph  said. 

The  generals  dismounted  and  came  up  the  steps.  As 
they  did  so  their  eyes  fell  upon  the  boys^  who  both 
saluted.     They  paused  in  surprise. 

"What  masquerade  is  this,  young  gentlemen?"  Gen- 
eral Trochu  asked  sternly.  "Allow  me  to  ask  how  you 
venture  to  dress  up  as  captains  on  the  staff,  and  still  more 
how  you  dare  to  put  on  the  ribbons  of  commanders  of  the 
legion  of  honor?  It  is  no  laughing  matter,"  he  said 
angrily,  as  Ralph  could  not  resist  a  smile.  "It  is  a 
punishable  offense,  and  your  impudence  in  showing  your- 
selves off  at  my  door  makes  the  matter  the  more 
unpardonable." 

"I  see,  General  that  you  do  not  remember  us." 

"I  do  not,  sir,"  General  Trochu  said,  looking  at  him 
sternly.  "To  the  best  of  my  belief  I  never  set  eyes 
upon  you  before." 

The  numerous  staff  of  officers  who  had  accompanied 
the  generals,  and  who  were  scattered  thickly  around 
them,  gave  an  angry  murmur,  for  scarce  one  among 
them  wore  the  coveted  decoration. 

"I  am  Ralph  Barclay,  and  this  is  my  brother  Percy," 
Ralph  said  respectfully. 

"Impossible!"  the  three  generals  exclaimed  simul- 
taneously, while  there  was  a  general  exclamation  of  sur- 
prise from  the  officers  round,  for  the  courageous  deed 
of  the  Barclays  in  making  their  way  through  the  enemy's 
lines  had  been  a  general  topic  of  conversation,  and  all 
Paris  was  familiar  with  their  names. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREUBS.  263 

"It  is  so,  General,"  Ralph  said  respectfully.  "I  ex- 
plained to  you  at  the  interview  that  I  had  the  honor  of 
having  with  you  in  the  presence  of  Generals  Ducrot  and 
Vinoy,  that  it  was  the  false  hair  which  made  all  the 
difference,  and  that  I  was  but  little  older  than  my 
brother." 

The  generals  no  longer  doubted.  They  all  shook  both 
boys  by  the  hand. 

"I  am  astounded,"  General  Trochu  said;  "astounded 
what  two  such  mere  boys  as  I  now  see  you  are  should 
have  accomplished  what  you  have  done.  However, 
courage  is  of  no  age,  and  I  do  not  think  that  there  are 
any  here" — and  he  turned  to  the  officers  round  him — 
"who  will  not  agree  with  me  that  these  ribbons  are 
worthily  placed." 

"No,  indeed,"  was  the  general  reply,  and  the  officers 
all  pressed  round  to  shake  hands  with  the  boys,  as  they 
accompanied  the  governor  back  into  the  house.  General 
Trochu  went  at  once  into  his  private  study,  and  told  the 
boys  to  sit  down. 

"Now,  what  can  I  do  for  you,  boys?" 

"M.  Gambetta  promised  us  that  he  would  write  to  ask 
for  us  to  have  places  in  the  first  balloon  which  came  out 
after  we  arrived,"  Ralph  said.  "Owing  to  my  brother's 
illness  I  have  not  been  able  to  ask  before,  but  I  am  now 
anxious  to  leave  as  soon  as  possible,  especially  as  the 
doctor  says  that  change  is  desirable  for  my  brother,  and 
that  he  ought  to  have  at  least  a  month's  nursing  at 
home  before  he  gets  on  horseback  again." 

"A  balloon  will  start  to-morrow  morning/'  General 
Trochu  said,  "but  if  you  choose  to  stay  here,  1  will 
promise  you  both  places  upon  my  own  staff,  or  upon 
those  of  Generals  Ducrot  or  Vinoy,  either  of  whom 
would,  I  am  sure,  be  very  glad  to  receive  you." 

"You  are  very  kind,  indeed,  sir:  very  kind;  and  we 


264  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

feel  greatly  honored  by  your  offer,"  Ralph  said  grate- 
fully. "Had  we  any  intention  whatever  of  remaining  in 
the  army  we  should  accept  it,  with  many  thanks;  but  it 
is  not  so.  We  are  English,  and  at  the  end  of  the  war 
we  leave  France,  and  go  back  to  live  at  home.  We 
entered  the  ranks  with  no  thought  of  winning  promo- 
tion or  favor,  but  simply  from  a  sense  of  duty  to  the 
country  to  which  our  mother  belonged,  and  in  which 
we  were  born.  There  will,  I  suppose,  be  a  great  battle 
fought  near  Orleans  shortly,  and  I  should  like  to  be 
present  if  possible,  and  Percy  wants  rest.  Therefore! 
general,  while  thanking  you  most  warmly  for  your  kind- 
ness, we  would  rather  go  out." 

"Very  well,"  the  general  said,  "it  shall  be  as  you 
wish.  There  is  certainly  more  chance  of  your  seeing 
stirring  service  in  the  field  than  in  here.  I  do  not 
blame  you  for  your  choice.  I  will  send  a  note  at  once 
to  M.  Teclier,  who  has  charge  of  the  balloon,  to  say  that 
you  will  accompany  him.  Good-by,  lads,  good-by;  you 
are  fine  young  fellows,  and  your  father  has  every  right 
to  be  proud  of  you.     Tell  him  so  from  me." 

The  boys  rose,  and  bowed;  but  the  general  held  out 
his  hand,  and  shook  theirs  warmly. 

Upon  leaving  the  room  they  found  several  of  the 
officers  of  the  staff  waiting  oucside,  who  begged  them  to 
stay  and  have  a  chat  with  them.  Ralph  at  once  accepted 
the  invitation,  upon  the  condition  that  Percy  should 
have  a  sofa  upon  which  to  lie  down,  for  his  brother  was 
looking  pale  and  faint.  They  were  most  warmly  received 
in  a  large  drawing-room,  in  which  were  over  a  dozen 
officers  of  different  ranks.  Some  bottles  of  champagne 
were  opened,  cigars  were  lit,  andvwhile  Percy  lay  quietly 
upon  the  sofa  Ralph  chatted  with  the  officers,  relating, 
at  their  earnest  request,  several  of  their  adventures  in 
the  Vosges,  as  well  as  the  story  of  their  entering  into 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  265 

Paris.  His  new  friends  warmly  pressed  them  to  stop 
and  dine  with  them,  but  Ralph  pleaded  that  the  balloon 
was  to  start  at  five  in  the  morning,  and  that  he  wished 
Percy  to  lie  down  and  get  a  good  night's  sleep  before 
starting.  The  carriage  had  been  discharged  hours  since, 
but  one  of  the  officers  ordered  a  carriage  of  General 
Trochu's  to  the  door,  and  after  a  hearty  leave-taking 
the  boys  returned  to  their  hotel. 

"What  a  curious  scene  it  is,  Percy,"  Ralph  said. 
"WTho  would  think  that  we  were  in  a  besieged  city? 
Everything  looks  very  much  as  usual:  the  shops  are 
open,  people  walk  about,  and  chat  and  smoke,  and  drink 
their  coffee  or  absinthe  just  as  usual.  The  only  differ- 
ence is  that  every  one  is  in  some  sort  of  uniform  or 
other.  One  does  not  see  a  single  able-bodied  man  alto- 
gether in  civilian  dress;  and  at  night  the  streets  are  very 
dismal,  owing  to  there  being  no  gas." 

"How  much  longer  do  they  seem  to  expect  to  hold 
out,  Ralph?" 

"Another  two  months,  anyhow;  perhaps  three,  or 
even  more.  There  seems  to  be  a  large  stock  of  every- 
thing, and  every  one  is  put  on  to  a  regular  allowance, 
just  enough  to  live  upon,  and  no  more." 

"I  seem  to  have  everything  I  want,  Ralph:  lots  of 
beef  tea,  and  soup,  and  jelly,  and  so  on." 

"Yes,  Percy;  but  you  obtain  your  food  from  the 
hospital.  The  hotel  could  not  furnish  anything  of  the 
kind,  I  can  tell  you.  Here  we  are.  Now  you  lie  down 
at  once  and  get  to  sleep.  I  will  wake  you  in  plenty  of 
time." 

At  ten  minutes  before  the  appointed  time  the  boys 
arrived  at  the  Northern  Railway  Station,  which  pre- 
sented a  very  different  appearance  to  that  which  it 
ordinarily  wore.  No  whistle  of  locomotives  or  rumble 
of  heavy  trains  disturbed  the  silence  of  the  station.     A 


266  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR& 

smell  of  varnish  pervaded  the  whole  place,  and  several 
empty  balloons  hung  from  the  roof,  undergoing  the 
process  of  drying.  The  official,  who  had  received  them 
at  the  entrance,  conducted  them  outside  the  station; 
and  there,  in  the  light  of  some  torches,  a  great  black 
mass  could  be  seen  swaying  heavily  to  and  fro.  The  aero- 
naut was  standing  beside  him. 

"Here  are  the  gentlemen  who  accompany  you,"  the 
officer  said  to  him. 

"How  are  you,  gentlemen?"  he  said  cheerily.  "We 
have  a  fine  night,  or  rather  morning:  the  wind  is  north- 
erly.    I  suppose  this  is  your  first  ascent?" 

"Yes,  indeed,"  Ealph  said;  "and  I  own  I  hope  it  will 
be  the  last.     Have  the  dispatches  arrived?" 

"No;  I  have  the  mail  bags,  but  not  the  dispatches. 
Hush!  there  are  a  horse's  hoofs." 

A  few  minutes  afterward  a  railway  official  brought  a 
note,  which  he  delivered  to  M.  Teclier. 

"Bah!"  he  said,  in  an  annoyed  tone;  "why  cannot 
they  be  punctual?" 

"What  is  it,  sir?"  Ealph  asked. 

"A  note  from  the  general,  to  say  that  the  dispatches 
will  not  be  ready  for  an  hour.  That  means  an  hour  and 
a  half,  and  by  that  time  it  will  be  light  enough  to  be 
seen,  and  we  shall  have  to  run  the  gauntlet.  However, 
I  suppose  it  cannot  be  helped.  The  best  thing  will 
be  to  pass  the  time  as  cheerfully  as  we  can,  and  that 
certainly  will  not  be  in  waiting  out  here  in  this  bitter 
cold.  I  have,  fortunately,  a  few  bottles  of  excellent 
wine  in  the  car,  so  I  propose,  gentlemen,  that  we  go  in 
to  a  fire,  have  a  glass  of  wine,  and  smoke  a  cigar 
tranquilly." 

M.  Teclier  gave  a  few  directions  concerning  the  bal- 
loon, and  they  then  adjourned  to  a  work-shed  near, 
were  a  good  fire  was  blazing  for  the  use  of  the  men  em- 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  267 

ployed  in  filling  the  balloon.  Here  the  hour  and  a  half 
of  waiting  passed  pleasantly.  At  a  quarter  to  seven  the 
dispatches  arrived.  They  were  hastily  placed  in  the 
car,  in  which  everything  else  had  already  been  packed. 
The  Barclays  took  their  place,  The  word  was  given  "Let 
go  all!"  and  in  another  instant  the  earth  seemed  to  sink 
away  from  under  them,  and  they  were  rising  over  the 
tops  of  the  houses.  The  dawn  had  already  broken,  gray 
and  uncertain.  Light  clouds  were  floating  overhead. 
For  two  or  three  minutes  not  a  word  was  spoken.  The 
scene  was  so  wonderful,  the  effect  so  extraordinary  to 
the  boys,  that  they  were  unable  to  utter  a  word.  Every 
instant  the  earth  seemed  to  sink  away  from  them;  every 
instant  their  view  extended  further  and  further,  and 
the  distant  fields,  villages,  and  hills  seemed  actually  to 
spring  into  sight. 

"It  is  wonderful!"  Ealph  said  at  last. 

"Magnificent!"  Percy  responded. 

"I  wonder  whether  they  see  us?"  Balph  said. 

"We  shall  soon  know,"  M.  Teclier  said.  "We  have 
crossed  the  river,  and  over  the  walls  already.  In  another 
five  minutes  we  shall  be  over  their  lines." 

There  were  good  telescopes  in  the  car,  and  the  boys 
directed  them  upon  the  immense  panorama  below  them. 

"What  fort  is  that  immediately  beneath  us?"  Ealph 
asked. 

"That  is  Vanves;  the  village  you  see  there  is  Chatil- 
lon.     Look  out  now,  we  may  expect  visitors  in  a  minute." 

He  had  hardly  spoken  before  they  heard  a  faint 
sound,  followed  by  others  similar. 

"That  is  musketry,"  M.  Teclier  said.     "Listen." 

They  did  listen,  and  heard  a  peculiar  whistling  sound, 
which  seemed  below,  around,  and  about  them. 

"That  is  a  whistle  of  bullets;  there  is  no  mistaking 
them,"  Ralph  said. 


268  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

"We  are  too  low/'  M.  Teclier  said.  "Throw  out  that 
bundle  of  newspapers;  we  will  go  up  a  little." 

Ralph  did  so.  "What  would  be  the  consequence  if  a 
bullet  hit  the  balloon ?" 

"No  consequence  at  all,  except  that  a  slight  escape  of 
gas  would  take  place.  There,  we  are  going  into  the 
clouds  now,  and  they  will  not  trouble  any  more  about 
us." 

"I  thought  that  we  were  going  to  have  wind,"  Ralph 
said.  "The  barometer  at  the  hotel  had  fallen  a  good 
deal,  and  the  clouds  before  we  started  looked  like  it; 
but  now  we  are  once  up  here,  we  do  not  seem  to  move." 

In  another  two  minutes  they  passed  through  the  layer 
of  clouds,  and  the  sun  shone  brighly  upon  them.  They 
looked  down  on  a  sea  of  white  mist  without  a  break. 

"There,"  Ralph  continued,  "we  are  entirely  becalmed. 
"These  clouds  below  do  not  move  nor  do  we." 

"You  cannot  tell  that,"  M.  Teclier  said.  "We  go  in 
the  same  direction  and  at  the  same  speed  as  the  clouds. 
It  is  just  as  if  you  were  in  a  boat  at  night  upon  a  rapid 
stream.  If  you  could  see  no  banks  or  other  stationary 
objects,  you  might  believe  yourself  to  be  standing  still, 
while  you  were  being  drifted  forward  at  the  rate  of 
twenty  miles  an  hour.  We  may  be  traveling  now  forty 
or  fifty  miles  an  hour;  and  as  I  agree  with  you  as  to  the 
look  of  the  clouds  before  starting,  I  believe  that  we  are 
doing  so,  or  at  any  rate  that  we  are  traveling  fast,  but 
in  what  direction  or  at  what  rate  I  have  no  means  what- 
ever of  knowing.  Even  if  we  found  that  we  moved 
relatively  to  the  clouds  below  us  that  would  only  show 
that  this  upper  current  was  somewhat  different  from 
that  below." 

"But  how  are  we  to  find  out  about  it?"  Percy  asked. 

"We  must  keep  a  sharp  lookout  for  rifts  in  the  clouds. 
If  we  could  get  a  peep  of  the  earth  only  for  a  minute,  it 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  UBS.  269 

■would  be  sufficient  to  tell  us  the  direction,  and  to  some 
extent  the  speed  at  which  we  are  going." 

The  boys  in  vain  hung  over  the  side,  the  sea  of  clouds 
beneath  them  changed  and  swelled  and  rolled  its  masses 
of  vapor  over  each  other,  as  if  a  contest  of  some  gigantic 
reptiles  were  going  on  with  them.  "There  must  be  a 
great  deal  of  wind  to  account  for  these  rapid  changes  of 
form,"  Percy  said,  after  a  long  silence.  "Suppose  you 
see  nothing  of  the  earth?  At  what  time  will  you  begin 
to  descend?" 

"In  five  hours  from  the  time  of  starting,  at  twenty- 
five  miles  an  hour,  supposing  that  the  wind  holds  north, 
we  should  fall  south  of  the  Loire,  somewhere  between 
Orleans  aud  Bourges.  At  eleven  o'clock,  then,  I  will  let 
out  gas,  and  go  down  below  the  clouds  to  see  where- 
about we  are.  If  we  cannot  recognize  the  country,  or 
see  any  river  which  may  guide  us,  we  shall  at  least  see 
our  direction  and  rate  of  movement,  and  can  either 
throw  out  more  newspapers  and  keep  on  for  awhile,  or 
descend  at  once." 

It  was  just  ten  o'clock  when  Ralph  gave  a  sudden  cry. 
"The  sea!"  he  said;  "the  sea!" 

"Impossible,"  M.  Teclier  said,  hanging  over  the  side; 
"I  can  see  nothing." 

"Nor  can  I  now,"  Ralph  said;  "but  I  caught  a 
glimpse  just  now,  and  I  will  almost  swear  to  its  being 
the  sea,  though  how  we  could  get  there  I  don't  know." 

"If  it  is,"  the  aeronaut  said,  "the  wind  must  be  blow- 
ing half  a  gale  up  here,  and  must  have  changed  entirely 
either  to  the  west  or  south.  It  is  too  serious  to  hesitate; 
we  must  find  out  if  your  eyes  have  not  deceived  you." 
So  saying  he  pulled  the  valve.  "Keep  a  sharp  look-out, 
and  look  at  the  compass." 

"There,  there!"  the  boys  cried,  as  the  clouds  opened 
again  for  an  instant. 


270  THE  YOUNG  FBANG-TIREUB8. 

"It  is  the  sea,  and  we  are  going  west." 

"Then  we  are  over  the  Atlantic/'  M.  Teclier  said. 

The  gas  was  roaring  from  the  valve  above,  and  the 
balloon  sank  rapidly  into  the  stratum  of  clouds.  For  a 
minute  all  was  silent,  and  then  a  cry  broke  from  them 
all.  They  were  a  considerable  distance  from  the  coast, 
and  were  driving  along  with  great  rapidity.  Imme- 
diately under  the  balloon  was  an  island  of  no  great  size, 
and  beyond  that  no  land  whatever  was  visible. 

"We  must  descend  on  that  island  or  we  are  lost.  It 
is  our  only  chance."  The  valve  was  still  open,  and  its 
influence  was  easily  seen,  for  the  balloon  sank  rapidly 
down  through  the  opening  of  the  clouds. 

"We  shan't  be  down  in  time,"  the  boys  exclaimed 
simultaneously. 

It  was  but  too  evident.  The  balloon,  when  the  first 
general  view  of  the  situation  had  been  obtained,  was 
fully  a  mile  high  and  was  traveling  seaward  at  the  rate 
of  thirty  miles  an  hour.  The  island  at  the  point  at 
which  they  were  crossing  was  about  three  miles  wide, 
but  they  had  passed  fully  half  a  mile  over  it  before  they 
obtained  a  fair  view.  In  five  minutes,  therefore,  they 
would  be  beyond  the  land  again,  and  they  had  to  fall  a 
mile  in  that  time. 

"Out  the  balloon  to  pieces,"  M.  Teclier  said.  "Tear 
it  up;  we  must  risk  everything." 

The  boys  seized  the  silk,  tore  and  hacked  at  it,  as  did 
the  aeronaut.  In  two  minutes  a  vast  quantity  of  gas  had 
escaped  from  the  rents,  and  the  silk  was  doubled  up  near 
th«  top  of  the  net. 

"That  will  do,"  M.  Teclier  said.  "We  shall  be 
down  in  time  now." 

The  boys  looked  over  the  car,  and,  accustomed  as  they 
had  been  to  face  danger,  were  appalled. 

"It  is  all  up  with  us  this  time,"  Ealph  said;  "we  shall 
be  smashed  altogether." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  271 

"No,"  the  aeronaut  exclaimed.  "The  silk  is  acting 
as  a  parachute  now,  and.  checking  the  descent.  Now 
help  me  to  throw  out  all  the  bundles. " 

They  did  so,  working  silently  and  with  difficulty,  for 
the  car  was  oscillating  so  greatly  that  they  were  obliged 
to  hold  on  by  its  side  not  to  be  thrown  out.  When  the 
car  was  empty  they  looked  out  again.  The  descent  was 
less  rapid  than  it  had  been,  but  was  still  sufficiently 
alarming. 

"Is  there  a  chance?"  Ralph  said. 

"We  shall  get  off  with  a  shaking,"  M.  Teclier  said. 
"The  car  is  made  of  wicker-work  and  is  as  elastic  as 
a  ball.  Drop  the  grapnel  now;  in  another  minute  we 
shall  be  within  holding  distance." 

As  the  balloon  neared  the  ground  the  oscillation  be~ 
came  less  violent  and  the  pace  diminished. 

"The  grapnel  is  on  the  ground,"  Percy  said,  looking 
over. 

"Hold  tight,  hold  tight,"  M.  Teclier  said  warningly. 
"We  shall  catch  fast  on  to  those  trees." 

There  was  a  tearing  and  rending,  a  series  of  tremen- 
dous jerks  and  then  a  bump  against  the  ground,  which 
threw  them  all  into  the  bottom  of  the  car,  from  which 
the  next  jerk  threw  them  out  on  to  the  ground.  For- 
tunately the  ground  was  even,  and  the  soil  had  lately 
been  plowed,  but  the  shock  was  so  violent  that  it  was 
some  minutes  before  either  of  the  boy3  recovered  con- 
sciousness. When  they  did  so  they  found  that  two  or 
three  gentlemen  were  leaning  over  them,  while  several 
peasants  were  endeavoring,  under  the  direction  of  M. 
Teclier,  to  hold  the  balloon,  which  was  thrashing  the 
ground  with  great  violence. 

"Thank  God  you  are  all  alive,"  one  of  the  gentlemen 
said.  A  peasant  now  came  running  up  with  some  water. 
The  gentleman  who  had  spoken  dashed  a  little  in  their 
faces. 


272  THE  YOUNG  FRANC- TTREUHS. 

"I  do  not  think  any  of  your  limbs  are  broken, "  he 
said.     "Do  you  feel  any  pain?" 

"I  feel  sore  and  bruised  all  over,"  Ealph  said,  getting: 
up  with  some  assistance;  "but  I  don't  think  that  any- 
thing serious  is  the  matter.     How  are  you,  Percy?" 

"I  don't  think  I  am  hurt  seriously,  Ealph,  but  I  would 
rather  lie  still  for  the  present." 

Ralph  explained  to  the  gentleman  who  again  leaned 
over  Percy  and  felt  his  pulse,  that  his  brother  had  been 
recently  ill  and  was  still  weak. 

"Ah,  that  accounts  for  it, "the  gentleman  said.  "I  do 
not  think  that  he  is  seriously  hurt.  I  am  a  doctor,  and 
was  luckily  out  riding  with  these  gentlemen  when  we  hap- 
pened to  look  up  and  saw  your  balloon  falling  like  a 
stone  from  the  clouds.  We"  thought  at  first  that  you 
must  be  dashed  to  pieces,  but  when  we  saw  that  the  speed 
was  being  a  little  checked  we  had  some  hope,  and  gal- 
loped in  the  direction  in  which  it  was  falling.  We  were 
within  five  hundred  yards  when  you  fell,  but  we  hardly 
expected  to  see  any  one  alive.  Do  not  try  to  move,"  he 
said  to  Percy.  "We  sent  a  man  for  a  vehicle  and  a  few 
necessaries  before  we  set  off  ourselves." 

"Where  have  we  fallen?"  Ralph  asked.  "We  were 
astonished  to  find  ourselves  over  the  sea,  for  the  wind 
was  north  when  we  started." 

"You  have  fallen  upon  Belle  Isle,"  the  gentleman 
said,  "so  the  wind  must  have  changed  materially  since 
you  started." 

M.  Teclier  now  came  up.  "I  must  really  congratulate 
you  both,  he  said  to  Ralph,  "upon  your  coolness  and 
presence  of  mind  in  a  very  frightful  position.  The  old- 
est aeronaut  could  not  have  shown  more  nerve." 

"You  see,"  Ralph  said,  "we  have  been  pretty  often  in 
danger  now,  and  although  the  sort  of  danger  was  new, 
the  degree  of  danger  was  not." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  273 

The  gentlemen  smiled  a  little  as  Kalph  spoke.  The 
Barclays  had  come  out  in  plain  clothes,  bringing  their 
uniform  in  the  balloon,  for  in  the  event  of  the  balloon 
having  fallen  among  the  Germans,  it  was  of  course  essen- 
tial that  they  should  be  able  to  get  off  unobserved.  They 
therefore  looked  mere  lads,  and  their  talk  of  having 
passed  through  as  great  a  danger  as  that  which  had  just 
made  the  spectators  of  it  feel  faint  and  sick  only  to  wit- 
ness appeared  to  be  a  mere  bit  of  exaggerated  bragga- 
docio. A  light  cart  now  arrived,  in  which  some  mat- 
tresses had  been  laid,  some  bandages,  and  other  surgical 
necessaries  had  also  been  added,  together  with  a  bottle 
of  brandy. 

"Fortunately  we  do  not  want  any  of  these  except  the 
brandy,  the  surgeon  said.  "A  little  of  that  will  do  you 
all  good.  Now  a  few  strips  of  plaster" — this  was  to  M. 
Teclier,  whose  face  was  cut  a  good  deal — "and  then  you 
will  do  till  you  get  to  the  town." 

The  three  voyagers  were  now  helped  into  the  cart,  for 
they  were  all  very  stiff  and  greatly  shaken,  and  were 
glad  to  stretch  themselves  out  on  the  mattresses,  covered 
over  with  blankets,  until  they  reached  the  little  town. 
Here  they  were  met  by  the  whole  population  cheering 
lustily.  Another  wagon  had  been  sent  off  for  the  bal- 
loon, and  a  number  of  people  now  set  out  to  search  for 
the  bags  of  dispatches,  etc.,  which  had  been  thrown  out 
during  the  last  part  of  the  descent.  The  sous-prefect  at 
the  island  placed  his  house  at  once  at  their  disposal. 
But  they  said  that  they  would  rather  go  to  a  hotel  first 
and  take  a  hot  bath,  which  the  doctor  recommended 
them,  but  should  be  very  happy  to  breakfast  with  him 
after"  that.  Before  going  to  the  hotel,  however,  M. 
Teclier  sent  off  a  dispatch  to  Tours  saying  that  he  had 
arrived  at  Belle  Isle  with  news  from  Paris  at  a  quarter  to 
seven,  and  that  at  that  time  everything  was  going  on 


274  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

well.  He  next  inquired  as  to  means  of  reaching  the  main- 
land. The  wind  was  dead  off  shore,  and  a  sailing  vessel 
would  have  taken  a  long  time  to  make  the  passage. 
However,  there  was  a  small  steamer  in  harbor,  and  the 
sous-prefect  took  upon  himself  to  engage  that  the  fires 
should  be  lighted  at  once  and  that  they  should  cross  in 
two  or  three  hours.  After  reaching  the  hotel  they  were 
examined  carefully  by  the  surgeon,  who  pronounced  that 
no  harm  whatever  had  been  done  to  them,  and  that  they 
had  escaped  with  a  few  contusions  and  a  good  shaking. 

The  breakfast  was  quite  an  ovation.  All  the  principal 
people  of  the  place  were  assembled,  and  when  M.  Teclier 
entered,  followed  by  the  young  Barclays,  the  gentlemen 
clapped  their  hands  and  cheered,  and  the  ladies  waved 
their  handkerchiefs.  After  breakfast  the  sous-prefect 
proposed  an  adjournment  into  the  drawing-room,  and 
now  the  voyagers  each  became  the  center  of  a  knot  of 
questioners  as  to  the  voyage.  M.  Teclier,  as  was  natural, 
conversed  with  the  sous-prefect  and  other  leading  men 
of  the  town,  while  their  wives  and  daughters  gathered 
round  the  lads.  Kalph  had  given  his  name  as  Barclay, 
and  had  stated  that  Percy  was  his  brother;  but  he  had 
said  nothing  as  to  their  being  in  the  army,  as  he  wished 
to  avoid  the  oft-repeated,  tale  which  the  declaration  of 
his  rank  was  sure  to  necessitate.  He  had  even  said  a 
word  to  M.  Teclier,  begging  him  to  say  the  Messrs.  Bar- 
clay, instead  of  Captains  Barclay,  unless,  of  course,  he 
were  actually  questioned  upon  the  matter.  Percy  was 
allowed  to  sit  in  an  easy-chair  unmolested,  for  he  was 
quite  done  up,  and  Ralph  talked  for  both,  relating  many 
details  of  their  journey  from  Paris;  and  the  ladies  ex- 
amined him  most  minutely  as  to  his  sensation,  and 
especially  whether  he  was  not  horribly  frightened. 

Among  those  standing  in  a  group  round  the  young 
Barclays  was  a  lieutenant  of  Mobiles,  who  evidently  by 


THE  TO  UNO  FRANC-TIREUR8.  275 

no  means  approved  of  the  attention  and  interest  which 
they  excited  among  the  ladies,  and  who  had  made  several 
sarcastic  remarks  during  the  course  of  the  narrative. 
Presently  a  servant  came  in,  and,  walking  up  to  M. 
Teclier,  said  that  two  swords  had  been  picked  up;  had 
they  fallen  from  the  balloon? 

"Yea,"  M.  Teclier  said,  "they  belong  to  those  gentle- 
men." 

The  servant  came  up  to  Ralph,  and  told  him  that  the 
swords  had  been  picked  up.  Ralph  at  once  drew  out  a 
five-franc  piece,  and  asked  the  servant  to  give  it  to  the 
man  who  had  found  them. 

"Ah,"  said  the  officer  of  Mobiles,  with  a  scarcely  con- 
cealed sneer,  "so  you  have  come  out  from  Paris  to  serve? 
I  should  have  imagined  that  there  were  plenty  of  oppor- 
tunities to  distinguish  yourselves  there.  However,  you 
must  have  had  good  interest  to  get  places  in  a  balloon." 

"We  have  fair  interest,"  Ralph  said  calmly,  "as  ap- 
parently you  have  yourself.  Each  of  us  has,  you  see, 
used  our  interest  in  the  way  most  pleasing  to  us.  We 
have  used  ours  to  enable  us  to  go  with  the  army  in  the 
field  instead  of  being  forced  to  remain  inactive  in  Paris. 
You  upon  your  part  have  used  yours  to  get  away  from 
the  army  in  the  field  and  to  remain  inactive  here." 

These  words  were  spoken  with  such  an  air  of  boyish 
frankness,  and  an  apparent  innocence  of  any  desire  to 
say  anything  unpleasant,  that  every  one  within  hearing 
was  ready  to  burst  with  laughter  at  Ralph's  hit,  which 
happened  to  be  thoroughly  well  deserved. 

The  officer  turned  white,  and  would  have  burst  out 
into  a  violent  answer  had  not  a  couple  of  friends  at  his 
elbow  begged  him  to  restrain  himself.  The  boy  evi- 
dently meant  nothing;  besides,  he  was  only  a  boy,  and 
what  could  be  done  with  him?  Besides  which,  again, 
tme  of  them  put  in,  though  he  was  only  a  boy,  he  looked 


276  fEE  YOUNG  fruAiVC-TIMEURS. 

an  awkward  customer.  This  latter  argument  weighed 
more  with  the  lieutenant  than  any  other. 

Ralph  was  not  yet  seventeen,  and  looked  much  younger 
than  a  French  lad  of  the  same  age  would  do;  but  in 
point  of  size  he  was  considerably  taller  than  the  officer 
of  Mobiles,  and  his  broad  shoulders  gave  promise  of 
unusual  strength.  There  was,  too,  a  look  of  fearlessness 
and  decision  about  his  face  which  marked  him  emphat- 
ically as  an  "awkward  customer."  Seeing  this  the  lieu- 
tenant burst  into  a  constrained  fit  of  laughter,  and  said 
that  it  was  "very  good — really  very  good,  for  a  boy." 
Every  one  else  was  so  occupied  in  the  endeavor  to  stifle 
their  laughter  that  the  lieutenant  again  took  up  the  part 
of  questioner. 

"I  suppose,  young  gentleman,  that  you  come  from  St. 
Cyr,  or  the  Polytechnic,  although  I  should  hardly 
imagine  that  you  have  completed  your  studies  in  either 
of  them." 

"I  have  not  the  advantage  of  having  been  at  either  of 
the  military  academies,"  Ralph  said  quietly.  "Have 
you?" 

Again  there  was  a  laugh,  and  by  this  time  most  of 
those  in  the  room  had  gathered  round. 

"May  I  ask  to  which  arm  of  the  service  you  belong?" 
the  officer  asked,  with  difficulty  keeping  his  temper. 

"You  may  ask,  certainly,  and  I  have  no  objection  to 
answer,''  Ralph  said.  "My  brother  and  myself  both 
belong  to  the  general  staff." 

The  officer  looked  surprised. 

"Have  you  served  already,  sir,  or  has  your  service  yet 
to  commence?" 

"I  have  seen  some  little  service  already,"  Ralph  said. 

"May  I  ask  what  general  has  had  the  benefit  of  your 
assistance?"  the  lieutenant  said,  with  an  affectation  of 
politeness. 


THE  YOl/NO  FRANC-TIREURS.  OT 

At  this  moment  the  sous-prefect  pushed  forward. 

"Silence,  sir!"  he  said  to  the  officer.  "There  has  been 
too  much  of  this.  These  gentlemen  have  performed  a 
great  service  to  France  and  are  my  guests,  and  I  look 
upon  it  as  a  personal  attack  upon  myself." 

"Excuse  me,  sir,"  Ralph  said,  rising  from  his  seat  for 
the  first  time.  "I  am  grateful  to  you  for  your  interfer- 
ence in  my  behalf;  but  I  can  make  no  claim  upon  the 
present  occasion  to  have  rendered  any  service  to  France. 
I  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  dispatches,  nothing  to  do 
with  the  balloon.  I  came  out  as  a  passenger,  upon  my 
private  desire  and  pleasure,  at  the  risk  of  course  of  being 
killed.  Undoubtedly  I  nearly  was  killed,  and  I  look 
upon  the  entertainment  that  you  have  given  us  as  a  kind 
congratulation  upon  our  not  having  broken  our  necks. 
Kindly,  then,  permit  me  to  answer  this  officer  for  myself; 
I  think  I  can  hold  my  own." 

The  sous-prefect  shrugged  his  shoulders,  to  signify 
that  in  that  case  he  washed  his  hands  of  the  whole 
business. 

"Now,  sir,"  Ralph  said,  "I  will  answer  the  question. 
The  general  upon  whose  staff  my  brother  and  myself 
served  was  General  Oambriels." 

The  officer  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"Since  that  time,"  Ralph  said,  more  sternly  than  he 
had  yet  spoken,  "my  brother  and  myself  have  had  the 
offer  of  posts  upon  the  staffs  of  General  Trochu,  General 
Ducrot,  and  General  Vinoy." 

"Oh,  come  now,"  the  lieutenant  said,  with  a  laugh  of 
derision,  "that  is  a  little  too  strong.  Imagine  a  scram- 
ble upon  the  part  of  Trochu,  Ducrot,  and  Vinoy  for  the 
services  of  these  very  young  officers." 

This  time  the  speaker  had  the  laugh  with  him,  for  no 
one  could  believe  that  Ralph  could  be  speaking  the 
truth.     Ralph  grew  a  little  pale. 


2?8  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  UBS. 

"M.  Teclier,"  he  said,  "do  me  the  favor  to  introduce 
my  brother  and  myself  to  this  lieutenant  of  Mobile  in 
due  form."  The  matter  had  now  become  so  serious  that 
there  was  a  dead  hush  in  the  room  while  M.  Teclier  ad- 
vanced. He  had  once  or  twice  already  made  a  motion  of 
coming  forward  to  take  Kalph's  part,  but  a  motion  from 
the  latter  had  arrested  him.  He  was  aware  of  the  furore 
which  the  gallant  and  successful  expedition  of  the  Bar- 
clays had  created  in  Paris,  and  he  had  been  greatly 
struck  and  pleased  by  the  calmness  of  the  boys  in  a  great, 
and  to  them  altogether  new  peril.  He  now  advanced 
slowly. 

"May  I  ask  your  name,  sir,  and  regiment?"  he  said  to 
the  officer. 

"Lieutenant  Desmaret,  of  the  Mobiles  of  Vienne,"  the 
officer  said,  frowning. 

"Lieutenant  Desmaret,  of  the  Mobiles  of  Vienne,  I  beg 
to  introduce  you  to " 

"No,  sir,"  the  officer  said  passionately,  "you  intro- 
duce them  to  me,  not  me  to  them;  the  inferior  rank  is 
introduced  to  the  superior." 

"I  know  perfectly  well  what  I  am  doing,  sir,  and 
require  no  lesson  from  you,"  M.  Teclier  said  quietly. 
"I  repeat,  I  introduce  you,  Lieutenant  Desmaret,  of  the 
Mobiles  of  Vienne,  to  Captain  Ralph  Barclay,  and  Cap- 
tain Percy  Barclay,  staff-officers,  and  commanders  of  the 
Legion  of  Honor."  There  was  a  dead  silence  of  surprise 
throughout  the  room. 

"Is  it  possible?"  the  sous-prefect  said,  coming  forward 
again,  "that  these  gentlemen  are  the  Captains  Barclay, 
of  whom  the  Paris  papers,  which  we  received  three  days 
since,  were  full,  as  having  passed  through  the  German 
lines,  and  having  swam  the  Seine  at  night  under  fire? 
They  had  previously  been  decorated  for  great  acts  of 
bravery  in  the  Vosges,  and  were  now  made  commanders 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  279 

of  the  Legion.  Is  it  possible  that  you  are  those  officers, 
gentlemen?" 

"It  is  so,  monsieur,"  Kalph  said;  "we  had  the  good 
fortune  to  distinguish  ourselves;  but,  as  we  did  not  wish 
to  make  ourselves  conspicuous  by  new  uniforms  and  new 
ribbons,  we  have  put  aside  our  uniforms  until  required 
for  service,  and  asked  M.  Teclier  to  be  silent  upon  the 
subject.  Of  course,  we  could  not  guess  that  upon  our 
way  we  should  meet  so  rude  and  unmannerly  a  person  as 
monsieur  the  lieutenant  of  the  Mobiles  of  Vienne." 

The  lieutenant  stamped  his  feet  furiously.  "You 
shall  answer  to  me,  sir,"  he  said,  "for  this  insult." 

"Stop,  sir,"  Ralph  said,  in  a  steady  voice,  which 
silenced  those  who  were  about  to  interfere.  "You  have 
asked  me  questions  with  rare  freedom.  I  have  answered 
them.  I  am  now  going  to  give  you  my  opinion  of  you, 
and  my  advice  to  you,  equally  freely.  If  you  mean  by 
what  you  have  said  that  you  are  going  to  challenge  me 
to  a  duel,  I  tell  you  at  once  that  I  shall  not  accept  it.  I 
have,  sir,"  and  he  raised  his  head  proudly,  "proved  my 
courage,  and  France  has  recognized  it  in  the  rank  and 
honor  she  has  given  me.  We  English,  for  I  am  English, 
do  not  fight  duels;  but  I  will  make  an  exception.  When 
you,  M.  Desmaret,  come  to  me  decorated  as  I  am,  or 
having  in  any  signal  way  proved  your  courage  and  devo- 
tion to  France,  I  will  meet  you.  At  present  I  see  that 
you,  an  officer  in  the  French  army,  well  in  health,  are 
staying  here  in  idleness  instead  of  being  in  the  field.  Go 
and  fight  the  enemies  of  France  first,  M.  Desmaret,  and 
after  that  talk,  if  you  like,  about  fighting  her  friends." 

There  was  a  loud  exclamation  of  applause  an^i  satisfac- 
tion at  these  words  from  those  who  had  been  looking  on 
at  this  unpleasant  scene,  and  the  sous-prefect  warmly 
shook  Ralph  by  the  hand. 

"Well  said,  Captain  Barclay,  well  said,  indeed.     I  be- 


280  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

lieve  I  may  say  that  every  one  here  agrees  with  yon 
entirely.  There  are  too  many  officers  continually  absent 
from  the  army  upon  'private  affairs/  and  those  of  M. 
Desmaret  have  taken  longer  to  arrange  than  usual,  for 
he  has  been  staying  here  for  five  weeks  now.  However," 
he  said  significantly,  "he  will  hardly  prolong  his  stay  in 
the  island.  Enough  upon  that  subject,"  he  said,  as  M. 
Desmaret  left  the  room,  pale  and  furious.  "I  am  glad, 
I  am  proud,  sir,  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  yourself 
and  your  brother,  and  I  can  really  at  heart  feel  grateful 
to  that  fellow  for  having  forced  you  to  declare  who  you 
are;  had  he  not  done  so,  you  would  have  left  without 
our  knowing  that  we  had  you  among  us." 

There  was  now  quite  an  ovation  to  the  boys;  the  ladies 
especially  could  hardly  conceive  that  it  was  possible  that 
these  quiet-looking  young  fellows  had  performed  feats  of 
such  daring.  They  now  begged  to  hear  the  details  of 
the  adventures,  but  at  this  moment  word  was  brought 
that  steam  was  up,  and  the  vessel  ready  to  start,  and  as 
M.  Teclier  was  most  anxious  to  get  on,  and  as  Percy  was 
quite  done  up,  Ealph  was  glad  to  seize  the  excuse,  and 
to  make  his  apologies  for  leaving  at  once.  The  sous- 
prefect,  all  the  breakfast  party,  and  a  large  proportion  of 
the  population  of  the  little  place  accompanied  them 
thence  to  the  landing-place,  and  then,  amid  hearty  cheer- 
ing, the  little  steamer,  carrying  the  voyagers,  the  dis- 
patches, and  the  remains  of  the  balloon,  started  for  the 
mainland. 


THE  YOUJXG  FUAXC-TIREURa.  281 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A     DAY     OF     VICTORY. 

After  traveling  all  night  the  Barclays  arrived  at 
Tours  at  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  day  after 
that  upon  which  they  had  left  Belle  Isle.  At  the  station 
they  said  adieu  to  M.  Teclier,  who  went  at  once  to  Gam- 
hetta  with  the  dispatches,  while  the  Barclays  turned  away 
to  Colonel  Tempe's  lodgings,  and  to  their  great  surprise 
as  well  as  delight  found  him  in. 

The  colonel  gave  quite  a  shout  of  joy  when  he  saw 
them.  "Ah,  my  brave  boys,  my  brave  boys,  I  am  glad 
to  see  you,"  and  he  took  them  in  his  arms  and  kissed 
them  as  heartily  and  as  earnestly  as  if  he  had  been  their 
father.  "I  am  glad  to  see  you,"  he  repeated,  wiping  his 
eyes  with  his  handkerchief.  "I  was  sure  you  would  do 
it,  I  never  really  doubted;  I  told  Gambetta  it  was  as  good 
as  done,  but  I  could  not  help  being  nervous,  horribly 
nervous,  and  when  the  news  came  five  days  ago,  by  the 
balloon  which  left  three  days  after  you  got  in,  I  almost 
lost  my  head,  I  laughed,  I  cheered,  I  shook  every  one  by 
the  hand,  ma  foi,  I  don't  know  what  I  did,  I  was  so 
pleased.  Your  Irishman  was  the  funniest  thing.  He 
was  not  surprised,  or  pleased,  or  even  interested.  I 
explained  to  him  over  again,  thinking  he  did  not  under- 
stand,but  he  only  shook  his  head,  and  said  in  his  strange 
English,  'Sure,  Colonel,  I  never  doubted  them  for  a 
moment;  aren't  they  clever  enough  to  decaive  the  ould 
gintieman  himself?    It  was  as  sartin  as  peas  is  peas  that 


282  THE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREURS. 

they  would  slip  in  somehow,  and  if  they  did  get  into  a 
scrape,  that  they  were  the  boys  for  getting  themselves 
out  of  it.  It's  the  coming  out  I  am  afraid  of.'  I  looked 
surprised,  naturally  enough,  and  he  went  on,  'and 
doesn't  your  honor  know  that  they  are  talking  of  coming 
out  in  a  balloon?  Only  to  think  of  it,  Colonel,  flying 
through  the  clouds,  shut  up  in  a  big  ball  of  silk!  it's  just 
.flying  in  the  face  of  Providence.  What's  the  use  of 
scheming,  or  of  courage — you  can't  decaive  a  cloud, 
though  it's  as  aisy  as  dancing  to  take  in  a  German. 
"When  you  tell  me,  Colonel,  that  they're  safe  out  of  the 
balloon,  then  I'll  shout  as  loud  as  you  like.'  Yesterday, 
when  the  telegram  from  Teclier  came,  saying  that  he  had 
fallen  in  Belle  Isle,  had  had  a  narrow  escape  of  being 
driven  into  the  sea,  but  had  avoided  that  by  running  the 
risk  of  breaking  his  neck,  and  mentioned  that  you  were 
with  him,  and  had,  like  himself,  escaped  with  a  few 
bruises,  Tim  went  nearly  out  of  his  mind  with  joy.  He 
has  been  cleaning  his  sword  and  accouterments  this 
morning.  I  am  off  to-morrow,  and  you  are  only  just 
come  in  time  to  see  the  fighting.  But  you  are  looking 
ill,  Percy;  far  too  ill  for  service  just  at  present." 

"Yes,  he  has  been  very  ill,"  Ralph  said,  "he  had  a 
touch  of  brain  fever  the  night  we  got  into  Paris,  and  was 
delirious  for  two  days.  He  has  picked  up  quickly,  but 
that  balloon  descent  was  not  the  thing  for  an  invalid. 
The  doctor  in  Paris  ordered  a  month,  at  least,  of  abso- 
lute rest,  and  has  given  him  a  sick  certificate." 

"He  needs  rest,  certainly,"  Colonel  Tempo  said,  "but 
he  cannot  go  home  at  present.  The  Prussians  hold 
Dijon  in  considerable  strength.  There  are  far  too  many 
people  in  the  town  who  have  heard  of  your  connection 
with  the  franc-tireurs.  Some  spy  or  other  would  be  cer- 
tain to  peach." 

"Yes,"  Ralph  assented,  "we  have  been  talking  it  over, 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  283 

and  quite  agree  that  Percy  could  not  go  back,  as  although 
he  would  willingly  run  the  risk  himself,  it  would  bring 
such  serious  consequences  upon  them  at  home  if  he  were 
found  there  that  he  has  determined  to  go  down  to  Nice 
for  awhile,  and  rejoin  as  soon  as  he  gains  strength 
again." 

"Yes,"  Colonel  Tempe  said,  "but  above  all  things  do 
not  let  him  be  in  a  hurry.  You  have  gone  through  an 
immense  deal,  Percy,  and  have  done  a  great  deal  more 
than  your  share  for  France,  and  have  gained  great  honor 
and  credit.  Be  content  with  that.  You  might  ruin 
your  constitution  for  life  by  further  exertions. " 

"But  about  yourself,  Colonel — where  are  you  going?" 

"I  am  starting  to-morrow  to  join  General  Chanzy's 
staff." 

"I  have  not  heard  his  name  before,"  Ealph  said. 

"He  commands  the  Sixteenth  Corps.  He  has  not  had 
much  opportunity  yet,  but  he  is  a  good  soldier.  If  yon 
like,  Ralph,  I  will  go  with  you  at  once  to  Freysinet,  and 
get  you  attached  with  me." 

"Thank  you  very  much,  Colonel;  I  should  like  it  of  ail 
things." 

"Come  along  then;  Freysinet  is  in  his  office." 

Percy  accompanied  them  to  obtain  a  signature  to  his 
leave  of  absence,  and  left  next  day  for  the  south.  " 

An  hour  later  Colonel  Tempe  and  Ralph  were  in  the 
train,  upon  their  way  to  Orleans.  Tim,  again  in  his 
hussar  uniform,  and  half-wild  with  delight,  being,  with 
Colonel  Tempe's  orderly,  in  charge  of  the  horses. 

Colonel  Tempe,  as  Ralph  was  not  mounted,  had  offered 
to  lend  him  one  of  his  own,  but  Ralph  had  refused  it, 
unless  the  colonel  would  sell  it,  as  he  said  he  should  be 
always  afraid  of  getting  the  animal  shot  unless  it  was  his 
own.  Seeing  that  Ralph  was  "determined  upon  this  score, 
tiie  colonel  had  reluctantly  agreed  to  take  the  sum  he 


284  TEE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

had  paid  for  the  horse.  Ralph's  only  other  purchase  in 
Tours  was  a  great  fur  coat. 

"And  now,  Colonel,"  Ralph  said,  when  the  train  had 
started,  "we  have  time  to  talk — tell  me,  what  chances 
have  we  of  success."  ' 

"Between  ourselves,  Barclay,"  Colonel  Tempe  said,  "I 
do  not  think  that  our  prospects  are  brilliant.  In  my 
opinion,  Aurelles  de  Paladines,  or  rather  Gambetta,  for 
it  was  he  who  ordered  the  advance,  made  an  immense 
mistake  in  attacking  Von  der  Tann  when  he  did.  Of 
course,  he  drove  him  back  and  took  Orleans,  but  what 
was  the  use  of  that?  Absolutely  nothing.  He  was  not 
strong  enough  to  push  his  advantage,  but  the  movement 
served  to  draw  the  attention  of  the  Germans  to  his  force, 
and  Prince  Frederick  Charles,  who  was  marching  south 
from  Metz,  has  been  hurried  toward  Orleans,  and  has 
now  united  his  forces  with  those  of  Von  der  Tann  and 
the  Duke  of  Mecklenburg,  so  that,  although  we  have 
received  large  reinforcements,  for  the  whole  of  the  army 
of  the  East  is  up  now,  the  Germans  have  been  equally 
reinforced,  and  are  quite  as  strong  as  we  are.  We  ought 
never  to  have  attacked  until  we  were  ready  to  follow  up 
our  advantage  at  once.  It  was  nothing  short  of  mad- 
ness; but  what  can  you  expect  with  a  civilian  acting  as 
commander-in-chief?  I  believe  that  we  shall  make  a 
tough  fight  of  it,  but  I  can  hardly  hope  that  our  new 
levies  can  prove  a  match  for  the  veterans  of  Frederick 
Charles." 

"When  do  we  begin,  do  you  think?" 

"In  two  or  three  days  at  latest.  You  have  not  seen 
a  great  battle  yet,  Barclay." 

"No,"  Ealph  said,  "nor  shall  I  see  much  of  it  now, 
for  the  country  is  so  perfectly  flat  that  it  will  be  impos- 
sible to  get  anything  like  a  general  view  of  it.  Do  you 
know,  Colonel,  I  feel  a  good  deal  more  comfortable  than 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  URS.  285 

I  did  during  my  last  journey  between  Tours  and 
Orleans;  for  although  I  thought  that  we  should  manage 
somehow  to  get  through  into  Park,  still  I  could  not  con- 
ceal from  myself  that  it  was  a  very  serious  undertaking. 
How  bitterly  cold  it  is!" 

"It  is,  indeed,"  Colonel  Tempe  assented.  "Being 
upon  the  gtafi,  we  shall  no  doubt  manage  to  get  a  roof  of 
some  sort  over  our  heads,  but  for  the  sentries  it  must  be 
terrible.  The  tents  d'abri,  if  the  men  can  scrape  away 
the  snow  and  get  an  armful  of  straw  to  lie  on,  are  snug 
enough;  the  men  lie  close  together,  and  share  their 
blankets." 

Half  an  hour  after  arriving  at  Orleans  Colonel  Tempe 
and  Ralph  were  riding  out  upon  the  north  road,  followed 
by  Tim  Doyle  and  the  colonel's  orderly.  The  frost  was 
keen,  but  the  afternoon  was  bright  and  clear,  and  as 
they  cantered  along  the  road,  beaten  flat  and  hard  with 
the  enormous  traffic,  their  spirits  rose,  and  Ralph 
regretted  that  Percy  was  not  there  to  share  in  his  enjoy- 
ments. 

Colonel  Tempe  shook  his  head  when  the  wish  was 
mentioned.  "No,  no,  Barclay,  it  is  far  better  as  it  is; 
you  are  young  enough  in  all  conscience  for  this  iron  work 
of  war;  your  brother  has  done  far  more  than  a  man's 
share  already,  and  will  find  it  difficult  enough  to  go  back 
as  a  schoolboy.  He  has  escaped  thus  far  almost  by  a 
miracle,  but  he  was  looking  shaken  and  worn.  I  am 
glad  that  he  is  not  here." 

Three  hours'  riding  took  them  to  the  little  village  near 
which  General  Chanzy  was  quartered.  The  Sixteenth 
Corps  lay  to  the  left  of  the  French  army,  facing  the 
Germans,  who  held  the  line  of  villages  of  Guillonville, 
Terminiers,  and  Conier.  It  was  already  dark  when  they 
arrived.  The  general's  quarters  were  in  a  chateau,  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  distant  from  the  village. 


286  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIEEUBS. 

When  they  reached  it  they  were  at  imce  shown  in, 
and  found  General  Chanzy  leaning  over  a  map,  which  he 
was  trying  to  examine  by  the  light  of  a  solitary  candle. 

"How  are  yon, Colonel?"  he  asked,  shaking  hands  with 
him  heartily,  for  they  were  old  friends;  "I  am  very  glad 
you  have  come.  There  is  plenty  to  do,  and  few  to  do  it — 
at  least  very  few  indeed  who  know  anything  about  their 
work.     Who  have  you  here?,, 

'Allow  me  to  introduce  Captain  Barclay,  General; 
Freysinet  has  attached  him  to  your  staff.  He  served 
with  me  in  the  Vosges,  distinguished  himself  greatly, 
and  won  his  lieutenancy  and  the  cross.  Since  then  he 
has  been  into  Paris.  No  doubt  you  saw  the  account  of 
his  swimming  the  Seine  with  his  brother.'' 

"Of  course,  of  course,"  General  Chanzy  said  warmly. 
"I  am  very  glad  to  have  you  with  me,  Captain  Barclay. 
You  will  not  be  long  before  you  are  at  work,  for  the 
affair  is  just  beginning.  I  have  just  got  news  that  there 
has  been  some  sharp  fighting  to-day  at  Beaurre  la 
Rolande." 

"With  what  results,  sir?"  Colonel  Tempe  asked. 

"We  gained  a  great  deal  of  ground  in  the  morning," 
General  Chanzy  said,  "but  they  brought  up  reinforce- 
ments, and  no  material  advantage  is  claimed.  And 
now,"  the  general  went  on,  "as  to  quarters,  you  must 
shift  for  yourself.  Beds  are  out  of  the  question,  but  you 
will  find  some  empty  rooms  upstairs,  and  fortunately 
there  is  a  little  straw  in  the  stable.  The  outhouses  are 
extensive  and  you  will  be  able  to  get  your  horses  under 
shelter.  I  should  advise  yon  to  see  about  them  at  once. 
In  an  hour  we  shall  have  something  to  eat.  I  cannot 
call  it  dining.  Captain  Barclay,  will  you  kindly  see  to 
these  matters?  I  shall  be  glad  to  go  through  this  map 
at  once  with  Colonel  Ten  pe." 

Ralph  at  once  obeyed  the  order,  much  pleased  with  his 


THE  YOUNG  FKANC-TIREURS.  287 

new  commander.  General  Ohanzy  was  a  man  to  inspire 
confidence  in  all  those  who  served  under  his  orders.  He 
was  a  young  man  for  a  general,  but  was  very  bald,  and 
had  a  quiet  and  thoughtful  air  which  made  him  look 
older  than  he  was.  He  was  a  man  of  few  words,  and  had 
a  sharp,  steady  look  which  seemed  to  master  at  once  the 
important  points  of  anything  that  was  said  to  him. 
When  he  smiled  the  whole  of  his  face  seemed  to  light 
up. 

"Just  the  man  to  serve  under,"  Ralph  thought  to 
himself.  "Cool,  self-possessed,  and  with  an  eye  that  will 
see  a  weak  point  in  a  moment. "  "Is  my  orderly  still  at 
the  door?"  he  asked  a  soldier  in  the  passage. 

"Yes,  sir,  two  orderlies  with  the  four  horses." 

"Can  you  get  me  a  light  of  any  sort?"  Ealph  asked. 
"I  want  to  go  round  to  the  stables  and  get  the  horses 
somewhere  in  shelter." 

"I  will  get  you  a  lantern,  sir,"  the  man  said.  •  "But  I 
fear  that  you  will  find  the  place  all  crowded;  but  of 
course  you  can  turn  some  of  them  out." 

The  orderly  accompanied  Ralph  with  a  lantern  across 
the  yard,  Tim  and  Colonel  Tempe's  orderly  following. 
Round  the  yard  were  many  cavalry  horses  tied  to  pegs, 
driven  in  close  by  the  wall  of  the  stables,  so  as  to  give 
them  some  little  shelter  from  the  intense  cold.  The 
poor  animals  stood  side  touching  side  for  warmth.  The 
orderly  opened  the  door  of  one  of  the  stables,  and  Ralph 
entered,  and  looked  round  by  the  light  of  the  lantern. 
The  horses  were  ranged  together  in  the  stalls  as  closely 
as  they  could  stand,  while  the  rest  of  the  area  was  com- 
pletely covered  with  cavalry  soldiers,  some  sitting  up 
smoking  and  talking,  others  already  wrapped  in  their 
cloaks  and  stretched  at  full  length.  A  sergeant,  seeing 
the  marks  of  Ralph's  rank,  at  once  rose  to  his  feet  and 
saluted. 


238  THE  YOUA/G  FRANC-T1REUR8. 

"I  have  two  horses  here,  sergeant,  my  own  and  one  of 
Colonel  Tempe's.  General  Chanzy  told  me  I  should  find 
room  here,  but  it  does  not  look  like  it." 

"I  will  turn  two  of  these  horses  out,  sir,"  the  sergeant 
said. 

"Is  there  no  other  place?"  Ralph  asked. 

"They  are  all  as  full  as  this,  sir." 

"There  is  a  little  shed  down  at  the  end  of  the  garden," 
one  of  the  men  said.  "'I  noticed  it  this  afternoon.  The 
door  was  locked.  I  looked  in,  and  it  seemed  a  cowshed. 
I  don't  know  whether  any  one  is  there.  I  will  go  down 
with  you,  sir,  and  show  you  the  way,  if  you  like." 

The  shed  was  soon  found,  and  the  soldier  forced  the 
door  open  with  his  sword  bayonet.  The  place  had,  as 
he  supposed,  been  a  cowshed,  but  the  walls  and  roof  were 
in  good  order  and  the  ground  hard. 

"This  will  do  first  rate,  your  honor,"  Tim  said;  "there 
is  room  for  all  four  horses  if  they  squeeze  a  bit,  and  for 
Jacques  here  and  myself.  I  suppose,  your  honor,  there 
will  be  no  harm  in  knocking  up  some  of  this  wood  work 
to  make  a  bit  of  a  fire?  It's  too  dark  to  look  for  sitcks 
to-night,  and  they  would  be  so  damp  from  the  snow  that 
the  smoke  would  choke  the  bastes  intirely,  to  say  nothing 
of  us." 

"Well,  under  the  circumstances,  Tim,  I  agree  with 
you;  but  don't  do  more  damage  than  you  can  help,  and 
only  make  enough  fire  to  make  the  water  hot  for  coffee 
and  so  on.  You  will  be  warm  enough  here  with  the  four 
horses.  You  must  go  and  see  if  you  can  get  them  some 
forage." 

"But  how  about  your  honor's  and  the  colonel's  din- 
ner?" Tim  asked.  "I  haven't  drawn  rations,  but  I  have 
got  plenty  of  bread  and  meat  in  the  haversack.  I  got 
them  at  Tours,  for  I  thought  there  wouldn't  be  much  to 
be  had  here." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIUEUR8.  289 

''Thank  you  for  thinking  of  it,  Tim,  but  we  dine  with 
the  general.  When  you  have  got  the  horses  comfortable 
and  lit  your  fire,  one  of  you  bring  up  our  cloaks  to  the 
house.  Keep  the  horses'  saddles  on  with  loosened 
girths:  we  may  want  them  suddenly  at  any  moment  of 
the  night." 

The  next  morning  General  Chanzy  said  to  Ealph,  "I 
should  recommend  you,  Captain  Barclay,  to  spend  ati 
hour  studying  this  map,  and  getting  up  from  these  lists 
the  exact  position  of  our  forces.  When  you  think  you 
have  mastered  them,  ride  through  the  whole  of  the  posi- 
tions occupied  by  the  corps,  and,  without  exposing  your- 
self, gain  as  good  an  idea  as  you  can  of  the  country 
beyond.  To-morrow  you  may  have  to  ride  straight  to 
certain  points  with  orders,  and  it  may  save  important 
time  if  you  are  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  ground 
and  position." 

After  a  couple  of  hours'  study  of  the  staff  map,  so  as 
to  know  every  little  by-lane  and  hamlet  for  ten  miles  on 
either  side,  Ralph  mounted  his  horse  and  went  for  a  long 
ride.  When  he  returned  Colonel  Tempe  told  him  that 
General  Chanzy  was  gone  over  to  General  D'Aurelle's 
quarters  to  arrange  the  details,  and  that  the  attack  was  to 
take  place  the  next  day. 

At  five  o'clock  the  general  returned,  and  Colonel 
Tempe  and  the  chief  of  his  staff  were  occupied  with  him 
for  two  hours  in  drawing  up  the  specific  orders  for  each 
corps.  Colonel  Tempe  had  not  been  out  all  day,  and  he 
therefore  offered  his  horse  to  Ealph,  in  order  that 
Ralph's  own  might  be  fresh  for  the  next  day.  Four  staff 
officers  set  off  in  various  directions  with  the  dispatches, 
and  Ralph  congratulated  himself  upon  having  been  upon 
the  ground  he  was  now  traversing  once  before  that  day, 
as  even  with  that  previous  acquaintance  it  was  hard  work 
to  find  the  way  through  the   darkness,  from  the   snow 


£90  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUI18. 

altering  the  general  appearance  and  apparent  distance  of 
each  object.  Thanks,  however,  to  his  ride  of  the  morn- 
ing, he  reached  the  various  corps  to  which  he  was  dis- 
patched, without  any  serious  mistakes  in  his  way,  and 
got  back  to  headquarters  by  eleven  o'clock. 

Tim  was  waiting  up  for  him.  "Sure,  your  honor,  and 
it's  a  mighty  cold  night.  I've  got  a  pot  of  coffee  on  the 
boil  in  the  stables." 

"Thank  you,  Tim.  I  will  just  go  in  and  make  my 
report  to  the  general,  and  then  gooff  to  bed.  Bring  the 
coffee  into  my  room.  We  shall  be  up  early,  for  we  fight 
to-morrow." 

"Do  we,  now?"  Tim  said  admiringly.  "And  it's 
about  time,  for  we  should  be  all  frozen  into  skeletons  if 
we  were  to  wait  here  doing  nothing  much  longer.  Bad 
luck  to  the  weather,  say3  I." 

At  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning  the  French  troops 
were  in  motion,  the  objects  of  their  attack  being  the  vil- 
lages of  Guillonville,  Terminiers,  and  Coniers.  The 
country  was  extremely  flat,  and  for  an  hour  they  saw  no 
bodies  of  the  enemy.  A  few  videttes  only  were  seen. 
These  galloped  off  hastily  the  moment  they  caught  sight 
of  the  heavy  masses  of  the  French  debouching  from  the 
wood.  Ealph  was  riding  with  the  rest  of  the  staff  behind 
the  general. 

"That  is  Terminiers,"  Colonel  Tempe  said,  pointing 
to  a  house  or  two  at  a  distance  on  the  plain. 

As  he  spoke  a  puff  of  smoke  came  from  the  houses. 
"There  is  the  first  shell,"  was  the  general  exclamation. 

In  another  instant  the  missile  burst  near  some  infantry 
at  two  hundred  yards  to  the  right.  "Take  orders  to  that 
battery  there  to  take  position  on  that  little  eminence  to 
the  left  there,  Captain  Barclay.  Tell  them  to  keep  the 
guns  a  little  back  among  the  trees,  and  to  open  sharply 
upon  Terminiers." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  291 

It  was  just  twelve  o'clock  now,  and  in  five  minutes 
there  was  a  roar  of  cannon  along  the  whole  length  of 
both  lines.  For  half  an  hour  the  combat  continued  a 
mere  artillery  duel.  The  shells  fell  in  all  directions, 
cutting  the  dry  branches  from  the  trees,  tearing  up  the 
ground,  and  leaving  deep  black  gashes  in  the  white 
snow,  crashing  through  a  wall,  or  occasionally  exploding 
among  the  troops. 

"Their  fire  is  slackening  a  little,"  General  Ohanzy 
said;  "it  is  time  to  be  pushing  forward.  Lieutenant 
Porcet,  take  my  orders  to  the  colonel  of  that  regiment 
of  Mobiles  to  advance  at  once,  covered  by  skirmishers. 
Captain  Barclay,  order  that  Line  regiment  to  support. 
Captain  Maillot,  order  the  artillery  to  concentrate  their 
fire  upon  the  village,  and  to  advance  by  batteries." 

The  orders  were  carried  out,  and  the  Mobiles  advanced 
to  within  five  hundred  yards  of  the  village.  The  mus- 
ketry fire  was  now  tremendous,  and  the  Mobiles  wavered. 
The  Germans  were  intrenched  in  the  gardens  and  walled 
inclosures  of  the  village;  every  wall,  every  house  was 
loopholed,  and  rough  barricades  had  been  erected  to  fill 
up  the  breaks  in  the  walls.  General  Chanzy  was  sitting 
on  horseback  a  short  distance  in  the  rear  of  the  fighting. 
Mounted  officers  rode  up  and  left  again  every  moment 
with  news  of  the  battle  going  on  near  the  other  villages. 

"Bide  up  and  order  the  Mobiles  to  lie  down,  Captain 
Barclay;  then  tell  the  colonel  of  the  Line  to  bring  his 
troops  up  in  line  with  them.  Let  them  lie  down  also. 
Temp6,  have  the  two  reserve  batteries  of  artillery 
brought  up  at  full  speed  to  silence  that  battery  in  the 
wood  to  the  left  of  the  village.  Its  fire  crosses  the 
ground  we  have  to  pass  over." 

Ten  minutes  more  of  continuous  cannonading,  and 
then  it  was  apparent  that  the  Prussian  fire  was  Weak- 
ening. 


! 


292  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

"Now,  Barclay,  tell  them  to  charge  at  the  double." 

Ralph  set  spurs  to  his  horse,  but  just  as  he  reached  the 
troops  a  shell  exploded  just  under  his  horse.  Ralph 
heard  a  crash,  felt  a  shock,  and  a  whirling  through  the 
air,  and  then  fell  heavily  upon  the  ground.  Believing  he 
was  dangerously  wounded,  he  made  no  effort  to  get  to  his 
feet,  but  sat  up  and  shouted  to  the  colonel  of  the  Mobiles, 
who  were  not  thirty  yards  from  him,  "The  Mobiles  and 
Line  are  to  charge  at  the  double,  and  to  carry  the  village 
with  the  bayonet." 

The  Mobiles  had  flinched  a  little  before  as  they  had 
advanced  with  the  deadly  fire  of  shot  and  shell,  but  they 
did  not  flinch  now,  and  leaping  upon  their  feet  with  a 
cry  of  "Vive  la  France,"  the  Mobiles  and  Line  soldiers 
literally  made  a  race  of  it  for  the  village.  Ralph,  after 
having  given  his  message,  lay  back  again  with  a  sort  of 
bewildered  sensation.  A  minute  afterward  he  heard  a 
rapid  galloping,  and  Colonel  Tempe  rode  up,  followed 
by  Tim  Doyle. 

"Are  you  badly  hurt,  my  dear  boy?"  the  former  ex- 
claimed as  he  leaped  from  his  horse.  "The  general 
himself  asked  me  to  come  and  see  after  you." 

"I  don't  quite  know,  Colonel,"  Ralph  answered;  "I 
feel  at  present  as  if  my  head  was  knocked  in,  and  my  legs 
shot  off." 

"You  had  a  tremendous  shake,"  said  Colonel  Tempe, 
who  was  with  Tim  by  this  time  kneeling  beside  him, 
"and  your  horse  is  blown  almost  to  pieces;  but  I  don't 
think,  as  far  as  I  can  see  at  present,  that  you  are  hit 
anywhere.  Here,  take  a  sip  of  brandy,  it  will  bring  you 
round;  you  are  stunned  a  little,  you  know.  There,  you 
are  better  now,"  he  said,  as  Ralph,  having  drunk  a  little 
brandy,  sat  up  and  looked  round. 

"I  am  all  right,  I  think,  Colonel;  don't  stay  any 
longer.     Tim   will   wait  here.     I    don't    think    I    was 


THE  TOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  293 

stunned,  else  I  could  not  have  given  the  order.  No,  I 
imagine  I  had  a  near  escape  of  breaking  my  neck. 
Please  don't  wait.  I  shall  be  all  right  again  in  five 
minutes.  I  will  take  Tim's  horse,  and  join  you  again. 
Tim  will  pick  up  a  musket — there  are  plenty  about — and 
do  a  little  fighting  on  his  own  account." 

Colonel  Tempe  jumped  on  his  horse  and  rode  off.  In 
a  minute  or  two  Ralph  was  able  to  mount  Tim's  horse, 
and  ride  slowly  up  to  the  village,  where  a  heavy  mus- 
ketry fire  was  still  going  on;  but  as  no  shell  or  shot  were 
now  coming  in  the  direction  in  which  Ralph  was,  it  was 
evident  that  the  French  had  taken  the  position,  and  had 
opened  fire  upon  the  retreating  Germans.  The  fight  still 
raged  both  to  the  right  and  left,  but  in  another  quarter 
of  an  hour  it  slackened  also  here,  and  the  three  villages 
were  all  in  the  hands  of  the  French. 

In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  Ralph  felt  quite  himself  again, 
and  seeing  one  of  his  fellow  staff  officers  gallop  up,  he 
asked  him  where  he  could  find  the  general. 

"He  is  at  Guillonville.  But  he  will  be  here  in  a  few 
minutes.  The  advance  is  to  continue:  we  are  to  carry 
the  villages  of  Monneville,  Villepani,  and  Faverolles." 

In  half  an  hour  the  troops  were  again  moved  forward, 
but  this  time  the  resistance  was  more  obstinate  than 
before,  the  Prussians  having  received  reinforcements. 
Hour  after  hour  the  fight  continued,  the  short  winter 
day  faded,  and  the  gathering  darkness  was  favorable  to 
the  assailants;  and  at  half-past  five  they  carried  the 
villages  by  assault.  The  scene  was  a  wild  one.  It  was 
perfectly  dark,  save  from  the  incessant  flashes  of  rifle 
and  cannon.  In  the  streets  of  the  village  men  fought, 
hand  to  hand;  some  of  the  Germans,  taking  refuge  in 
the  houses,  refused  to  surrender,  others  threw  down 
their  arms,  and  cried  for  quarter.  Shouts,  screams, 
curses,  cheers,  the  explosion  of  firearms,  and  the  clash 


294  .THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUI1S. 

of  steel  mingled  in  one  wild  and  confusing  din.  When 
it  ceased  the  village  remained  in  the  hands  of  the 
French  and  the  Prussians  retreated  sullenly  into  the 
darkness. 

There  was  no  rest  for  the  staff  for  hours,  they  were 
galloping  about  carrying  orders;  but  at  last  Ralph  re- 
turned to  Villepani,  at  which  village  General  Chanzy 
had  his  headquarters.  At  the  door  of  the  cottage  which 
was  pointed  out  as  that  in  which  the  general  was  Tim 
was  waiting. 

"Faith,  your  honor,  if  this  is  war,  I've  had  enough  of 
it." 

"What  is  it,  Tim?" 

"What  is  it,  your  honor!  here  have  we  been  fighting 
all  day,  and  not  a  blessed  thing  to  ate  or  to  drink.  No 
one  knows  what  became  of  the  wagons,  and  here  we  are, 
without  as  much  as  a  biscuit  to  ate;  and  such  weather  as 
this,  too;  and  another  battle  in  the  morning." 

"Ay,  Tim,  it's  bad  enough,  but  think  of  tho  thousands 
of  poor  fellows  lying  wounded  and  freezing  to  death  on 
the  snow." 

"I  do  think  of  them,  Misther  Ralph,  and  Pve  been  at 
work  ever  since  we  got  in  here,  carrying  the  poor 
creatures  in  from  the  garden  and  fields.  There  is  not  a 
house  here  that's  not  full  from  the  top  to  the  bottom. 
Have  you  lost  the  wallets  off  my  saddle,  your  honor?" 

"No,  Tim;  why  should  I  do  that?" 

"I  don't  know  why  you  should  sir,  but  I  have  been 
making  up  my  mind  that  you  would  all  along;  either 
that  you  have  had  it  shot  off,  or  that  you'd  throw  it 
away  to  ease  the  horse.     Now  we  shall  do." 

"Why,  what's  in  the  wallet,  Tim?" 

"Just  a  big  chunk  of  bread,  your  honor.  It  was  left 
on  the  table  when  you  had  breakfasted  this  morning,  and 
I  said  to  myself  it  may  be  useful  before  night,  and  so  just 
slipped  it  into  the  wallet." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUE8.  295 

\  In  another  minute  the  bread  was  taken  out  and  cut 
n\to  two  portions.  "I  would  not  eat  it  at  all,  to-night, 
Trm,  if  I  were  you,"  Ralph  said;  "it  is  not  by  any  means 
too\large  for  supper,  but  a  mouthful  in  the  morning  will 
be  a\  great  comfort.  I  suppose  there  is  no  chance  of 
gettibg  anything  for  the  horse." 

"Trust  me,  your  honor.  One  of  the  first  things  I  did 
when  the  firing  was  over  was  to  pop  into  a  stable  and  to 
get  a  big  armful  of  hay,  and  take  it  out  and  hide  it  away 
undar  a  hedge.  It  was  lucky  I  did,  for  the  minute  after- 
ward we  could  not  have  got  a  handful  if  we  had  offered 
a  napoleon  for  it." 

"Where  are  you  going  to  sleep,  Tim?" 

"Under  that  same  hedge,  Misther  Ralph.  The  horse 
always  lies  down,  and  he's  so  tired  he  won't  break  the 
rule  to-night;  so  I'll  give  him  half  the  hay  for  his 
supper,  and  when  he's  laid  down  I'll  put  the  rest  be- 
tween him  and  the  hedge,  and  roll  myself  up  in  my 
cloak,  and  what  with  the  cloak,  and  the  horse,  and  the 
hedge,  and  the  hay,  not  to  mention  the  supper,  I  shall 
be  as  warm  as  a  lord;  and  it's  a  comfort  to  think  that 
there  will  be  something  to  eat  both  for  the  baste  and 
myself  in  the  morning." 

"Well,  good-night  then,  Tim." 

"Good-night,  your  honor."  If  Tim  Doyle  slept,  there 
were  not  many  of  his  comrades  that  did  on  that  night. 
The  cold  was  fierce  in  the  extreme,  and  those  who  could 
obtain  wood  of  any  kind  made  fires  and  crouched  over 
them;  others  lay  on  the  ground,  and  huddled  together 
for  warmth;  others  dragged  their  feet  wearily  back- 
ward and  forward.  Many  and  deep  were  the  curses 
poured  out  upon  the  intendance,  or  commissariat,  whose 
utter  incompetence  throughout  the  war  was  one  of  the 
great  reasons  of  the  continuous  bad  fortune  of  the 
French. 


306  THE  70  V NO  FRANG-TIREUR8. 

When  Ealph  entered  the  room  he  was  saluted  by  a 
variety  of  voices.  The  only  light  was  a  dim  lantern. 
The  room  was  half  full  of  officers,  some  dozing  in  corners, 
others  sitting  round  the  table  smoking. 

"Where  is  the  general?" 

"He  has  got  a  room  about  half  the  size  of  this  for  the 
use  of  himself,  Tempe,  and  the  chief  of  the  staff.  They 
are  writing,  and  will  go  on  writing  all  night,  I  expect. 
These  are  the  only  two  rooms  not  full  of  wounded  in  the 
whole  village.  You  had  a  narrow  escape  to-day.  We 
have  had  our  share  of  casualties.  Poor  Maillet  and 
Porcet  are  both  killed,  and  we  have  three  wounded. 
Were  you  hurt  at  all?" 

"No,"  Ealph  said;  "but  I  was  tremendously  shaken, 
and  feel  stiff  all  over.  I  will  lie  down  by  the  wall  here 
and  get  a  few  hours'  sleep." 

And  so  ended  the  1st  of  December. 


TEE  YOUNG  FRANG-TUittUti&  297 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

DOWN   AT  LAST. 

At  half-past  eight  o'clock  the  next  morning  horsemen 
came  dashing  in  with  the  news  that  the  Germans  were 
advancing  in  force.  Stiff,  many  half-frozen  and  half- 
starvec^  it  was  an  absolute  relief  to  the  men  to  have 
some  break  to  the  monotony  of  cold  and  hunger.  They 
were  already  assembled  under  arms,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
the  artillery  upon  both  sides  was  at  work. 

"I  fear  you  will  see  that  we  shall  be  beaten  to-day," 
Colonel  Tempe  said  to  Ralph,  as  they  mounted.  "The 
men  are  worn  out  with  hunger,  disgusted  at  the 
wretched  mismanagement  which  sends  them  into  a 
battle  without  having  had  food  for  twenty-four  hours, 
and  with  no  prospect  whatever  of  it  for  another  twenty- 
four.  Besides,  we  ought  to  have  been  reinforced.  Our 
line  is  too  long,  Ralph;  there  is  neither  direction  nor 
management.'' 

For  a  time  the  French  held  their  position  well  against 
the  tremendous  artillery  fire  which  was  maintained  upon 
them.  Gradually,  however,  the  Germans  pushed  their 
heavy  masses  of  troops  forward,  and  the  French  reserves 
had  already  been  brought  up. 

Several  of  the  Mobile  regiments  showed  signs  of  wav- 
ering. General  Chanzy  rode  backward  and  forward 
along  the  front  of  the  position,  exposing  himself  reck- 
lessly in  order  to  give  courage  and  confidence  to  his 
men.  Cigar  after  cigar  he  smoked  as  tranquilly  as  if 
sitting  in  an  armchair  a  hundred  miles  away  from  the 


298  THE  Y0UNG-ITRANC-TLREUR8. 

din  of  battle.  At  last,  after  exchanging  a  few  words 
with  the  generals  of  brigade,  he  called  Ralph,  who  hap- 
pened to  be  the  only  aid-de-camp  unemployed,  up  to 
him.  "Captain  Barclay,"  he  said,  "ride  at  once  to 
General  Sonis.  Tell  him  that  my  division,  not  having 
received  the  promised  reinforcements,  must  fall  back. 
He  has  already  sent  to  say  he  is  hard-pressed.  Ask  him 
to  hold  his  ground  if  'possible  for  another  half-hour,  by 
which  time  I  shall  have  fallen  back  toward  the  position 
I  left  yesterday  morning,  but  will  draw  rather  to  my 
right,  so  as  to  keep  our  connections  nearer  and  to  afford 
him  help  if  necessary." 

Without  a  word  Ralph  turned  his  horse  and  galloped 
off  at  full  speed.  A  quarter  of  an  hour's  riding  and  he 
rode  up  to  General  Sonis,  who  was  just  calling  upon  sev- 
eral regiments,  among  whom  were  the  Papal  Zouaves,  to 
make  a  charge. 

This  fine  body  of  men,  the  Papal  Zouaves,  acquired, 
and  justly  acquired,  more  glory  than  any  other  French 
corps  throughout  the  war.  They  behaved  upon  every 
occasion  magnificently.  In  the  first  fight  at  Orleans, 
upon  this  2d  of  December,  and  afterward  at  the  battle 
of  Le  Mans,  the  Zouaves  of  Charette  fought  with  the 
courage  of  lions.  A  great  many  of  them  were  men  of 
good  family;  all  were  inspired  by  the  ardor  and  spirit  of 
their  chief.  Their  uniform  was  similar  in  cut  to  that  of 
the  French  Zouaves,  but  was  of  a  quiet  gray  color 
trimmed  with  a  little  red  braid.  Ralph  rode  up  and 
delivered  his  message. 

"I  am  going  to  carry  that  position,  sir,"  the  general 
said,  "and  in  that  case  I  shall  not  have  to  fall  back  at 
all,  and  General  Chanzy  can  close  up  on  me,  throwing 
back  his  left  so  as  not  to  be  outflanked.  If  you  wait  a 
few  minutes  you  will  see  the  result  of  this  charge.  Now, 
gentlemen." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  293 

So  saying,  he  rode  with  his  staff  in  front  of  the  line. 
"Forward,  men,"  he  shouted,  drawing  his  sword. 
Ralph  had  naturally  fallen  in  with  the  staff  and  was  now 
able  to  see  and  admire  the  daring  of  the  proposed  move- 
ment, which,  if  successful,  would  have  changed  the  for- 
tunes of  the  day. 

Upon  an  eminence  some  three-quarters  of  a  mile  dis- 
tant were  several  batteries  of  artillery  supported  by  a 
large  body  of  infantry,  who  extended  to  within  about 
half  the  distance  between  the  French  line  and  their 
own  reserves.  The  fire  was  terrific,  so  terrific  that  sev- 
eral of  the  French  regiments  refused  to  advance.  Others 
started,  but  withered  away  so  fast  under  the  deadly  fire 
that  only  two  corps  besides  the  Zouaves  persevered  to 
the  end. 

The  Zouaves  advanced  at  a  double,  but  with  as  much 
coolness  as  if  on  parade.  They  did  not  fire  a  shot,  but 
made  straight  at  the  Prussian  infantry.  As  they 
approached  the  enemy's  line  General  Sonis  and  his  staff 
fell  in  between  the  Zouaves  and  a  regiment  of  Mobiles 
next  to  them,  in  order  not  to  interfere  with  the  fire. 

"For  God  and  France !"  Charette  shouted  as  he  led 
the  charge;  and  the  whole  regiment  responded  as  one 
man,  "For  God  and  France!" 

So  fierce  was  this  onslaught  that  the  Prussian  infantry 
refused  to  face  it,  and  fell  back  upon  their  supports. 
Still  the  Zouaves  rushed  on,  and  again  the  Prussians  fell 
back,  but  the  assault  was  growing  more  and  more  hope- 
less: the  Zouaves  were  unsupported  save  by  a  few  hun- 
dred men,  the  other  regiments  were  far  in  the  rear,  the 
shot  and  shell  were  mowing  lanes  through  them,  an 
army  was  in  front. 

At  last  they  halted.  Colonel  Charette  marched  on  in 
front  waving  his  sword.  General  Sonis  with  his  staff 
again  rode  forward. 


300  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

It  was  heroic,  but  it  was  an  heroic  madness. 

Again  the  Zouaves  advanced.  Again  a  storm  of  shell 
poured  upon  them,  and  then  a  regiment  of  German 
cavalry  swept  down.  There  was  a  crash:  Oharette  and 
his  officers  disappeared  beneath  the  hoofs  of  the  cavalry. 
General  Sonis  and  his  staff  went  down  like  straw  before 
them,  but  the  Zouaves  stood  firm,  fired  a  volley  into 
them,  and  then,  having  lost  eight  hundred  men  in  that 
desperate  attempt  to  3*etrieve  the  fortunes  of  the  day, 
the  remainder  retreated  sullenly  with  their  faces  to  the 
foe. 

Ralph  Barclay,  when  the  cavalry  swept  upon  them, 
had  shot  the  first  two  of  his  foes  with  his  revolver,  and 
had  then  been  cut  down  by  a  tall  German  dragoon  just 
at  the  moment  that  his  horse  fell  dead,  shot  through  the 
head. 

Ralph  had  a  momentary  vision  of  gleaming  hoofs  above 
him,  and  then  he  remembered  nothing  more  until  he 
came  to  himself  hours  afterward.  His  first  sensation 
was  that  of  intense  cold.  He  endeavored  to  rise,  but 
was  powerless  to  move  hand  or  foot.  He  lay  quiet  for  a 
few  minutes,  and  then  made  another  effort,  but  with  a 
similar  want  of  success.  This  time,  however,  he  felt 
that  his  limbs  would  have  moved  had  they  not  been 
fastened  down  by  some  weight.  He  now  concentrated 
all  his  strength  upon  one  arm.  It  yielded  suddenly,  and 
when  it  was  free  he  was  able  to  turn  partly  round  so  as 
to  feel  what  it  wa3  that  had  confined  it. 

He  found  that  his  own  blood  and  that  of  the  horse 
had  frozen  his  arm  fast  to  the  ground.  It  required  a 
considerable  effort  before  he  could  get  altogether  free, 
for  he  was  stiff  with  the  cold.  Putting  his  sword  up  to 
his  head  he  found  that  he  had  been  saved  by  the  very 
means  which  were  now  giving  him  so  much  pain.  The 
intense   cold   had  frozen   the  blood   as  it  flowed,  and 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIBEURS.  301 

stanched  it  more  effectively  than  any  surgeon  could 
have  done. 

Ralph,  after  rubbing  his  hands  and  arms  to  restore 
circulation,  now  endeavored  by  the  remains  of  twilight  to 
see  where  he  was  and  how  he  had  been  saved.  His 
horse  lay  next  to  him  and  almost  covering  him.  The 
poor  animal  had  fallen  on  to  its  back,  or  had  rolled  over 
afterward,  and  in  the  latter  case  it  was  fortunate  indeed 
for  Ralph  that  it  had  not  taken  another  half-turn.  Had 
it  done  so  it  would  have  crushed  him  to  death.  As  it 
was  it  had  reached  to  within  an  iuch  or  two  of  him, 
partly  concealing  him  from  sight,  protecting  him  from 
the  cold,  and  also  greatly  diminishing  his  chance  of 
being  trampled  upon  by  cavalry  passing  over. 

A  short  distance  off  Ralph  could  see  parties  with  lan- 
terns, and  one  of  them  seemed  approaching.  Far  in  his 
rear  he  could  hear  an  occasional  shot,  and  it  rushed 
across  his  mind  at  once  that  the  French  had  been  defeated 
and  were  falling  back  upon  Orleans.  These  lights  there- 
fore must  be  in  the  hands  of  Germans. 

The  thought  that  a  German  prison  awaited  him 
roused  Ralph  from  his  inactivity.  It  flashed  across  his 
mind  that  as  he  had  escaped  before,  they  would  take 
care  and  give  him  but  little  chance  of  escaping  again, 
and,  although  stiff  and  bruised  from  head  to  foot,  half- 
frozen,  and  faint  from  loss  of  blood,  the  hope  of  liberty 
roused  him  to  new  exertion.  With  some  effort  he  got 
at  the  holster  of  his  pistol  in  which  was  a  flask  of  strong 
brandy  and  water,  which,  though  icy  cold,  had  yet  a 
sensibly  warming  influence.  The  lights  were  still  at 
some  distance  off,  and  Ralph,  after  considerable  trouble, 
and  after  cutting  the  straps  which  fastened  it  to  the 
saddle,  succeeded  in  getting  at  his  fur  overcoat.  This 
he  put  on,  picked  up  the  cap  of  one  of  the  German 
troopers  who  had  fallen  near,  and  then  walked  slowly 
away  over  the  deserted  battle  ground. 


302  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

Ten  minutes  later  he  heard  a  horse's  hoofs  npon  the 
hard  ground.  He  cocked  the  pistol,  which  had  re- 
mained fastened  to  his  helt  when  he  fell,  pulled  forward 
the  German  soldier's  cap,  and  walked  quietly  on. 

"Who  goes  there?"  shouted  a  voice,  and  two  German 
officers  rode  up.  It  was  far  too  dark  now  to  distinguish 
faces. 

"Karl  Zimmerman  of  the  Seventh  Dragoons,"  Ralph 
said  in  German,  saluting. 

"What  are  you  doing  here?" 

"I  am  servant  to  Lieutenant  Falchen,  who  fell  to-day, 
and  I  had  been  to  look  for  his  body:  it  was  somewhere 
about  here  when  we  charged  the  gray  Zouaves." 

"But  your  regiment  is  miles  off,"  one  of  the  officers 
said;  "I  saw  them  an  hour  ago." 

"I  don't  know  where  they  are,  sir,"  Ralph  said,  "for 
I  had  my  head  laid  open  with  a  sword  bayonet  just  as  I 
was  cutting  down  the  man  I  had  seen  shoot  my  master. 
I  was  carried  to  the  rear,  but  the  surgeon  had  gone  on, 
and  my  wound  stopped  of  itself;  and  when  I  reached 
the  hospital  the  doctors  were  so  busy  that  I  asked  leave 
to  go  and  see  if  I  could  find  my  master." 

"Where  are  the  ambulances  now?"  one  of  the  officers 
asked,  as  they  turned  to  ride  off. 

"Over  in  that  direction.  Look,  sir,  there  are  some  of 
the  searchers  with  lanterns;  they  will  direct  you  at 
once." 

"Thanks,"  the  officer  said,  riding  off,  "good  luck  in 
your  search." 

Ralph  had  noticed  a  cottage  standing  by  itself  at  the 
edge  of  a  wood  at  some  little  distance  from  the  bivouac 
of  the  night  of  the  30th  of  November,  and  had  stopped 
for  a  moment  and  asked  a  few  questions  of  the  woman 
who  lived  there.  She  had  appeared  a  kind-hearted 
woman,  full  of  hatred  for  the  invader,  and  had  two  sons 


2  HE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  303 

in  the  Mobiles  who  had  marched  north  when  Paris  was 
first  threatened  and  who  were  now  besieged  there.  For 
this  cottage  Ralph  determined  to  make,  in  order,  if  the 
owners  would  receive  him,  to  take  shelter  in  the  house; 
otherwise,  to  find  a  refuge  in  the  wood  itself,  where  he 
doubted  not  that  they  would  assist  him  to  lie  hid  for  a 
few  days.  He  had  no  great  fear  of  a  very  active  searoh 
being  made  for  fugitives  at  present,  as  the  Prussians 
had  only  driven  back  two  divisions  of  the  French  army, 
and  had,  Ralph  believed,  plenty  of  work  on  their  hands 
for  some  time. 

It  was  fortunate  for  Ralph  that  he  had  studied  the 
ground  so  carefully,  for  he  soon  came  upon  the  road,  and 
the  stars,  which  were  shining  brightly,  gave  him  his 
direction  and  bearings.  The  battle  had  extended  over 
the  whole  of  this  ground.  Many  times  Ralph  could  hear 
groans,  and  saw  in  places  dark  forms  thickly  scattered 
over  the  ground,  showing  where  a  stand  had  been  made, 
or  where  a  regiment  had  lain  exposed  for  hours  to  an 
artillery  fire. 

The  distance  was  considerable  to  the  place  Ralph  had 
marked  out  for  himself.  Eight  miles  at  least,  he 
thought,  for  it  was  away  behind  what  had  two  days  be- 
fore been  Chanzy's  left.  It  was  in  Ralph's  state  of  feeble- 
ness, a  very  long  journey.  Over  and  over  again  he  had 
to  sit  down  and  rest.  He  did  not  feel  the  cold  now:  the 
fur  cloak  and  the  exertion  of  walking  kept  his  body  in  a 
glow.  He  took  great  pains,  however,  not  to  exert  him- 
self so  as  to  make  himself  too  hot,  as  he  feared  that  his 
wound  might  break  out  if  he  did  so.  He  was  fully 
twelve  hours  upon  the  road,  and  daylight  was  just 
breaking  in  the  east,  when,  exhausted  by  hunger, 
fatigue,  and  loss  of  blood,  he  crawled  up  to  the  door  and 
knocked. 

There  was  a  movement  inside,  but  it  was  not  until  he 
had  knocked  twice  that  a  voice  within  asked: 


$04  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

"Who  is  there?" 

"A  wounded  officer,"  Ralph  said. 

There  was  a  whispered  talk  inside.  "Let  me  in,  my 
friends,"  he  said,  "for  the  remembrance  of  your  boys  in 
Paris.  There  is  no  danger  to  you  in  doing  so,  as  if  the 
Germans  come  you  have  only  to  say  you  have  a  wounded 
officer.     I  can  pay  you  well." 

"We  don't  care  for  pay,"  the  woman  of  the  house  said, 
opening  the  door  with  a  candle  in  her  hand,  and  then 
falling  back  with  a  cry  of  horror  at  the  object  before 
her:  a  man  tottering  with  fatigue,  and  with  his  face  a 
perfect  mask  of  stiffened  blood. 

"You  do  not  remember  me,"  Ralph  said.  "I  am  the 
captain  of  the  staff  who  chatted  to  you  two  days  ago 
about  your  boys  in  Paris." 

"Poor  boy !"  the  woman  said  compassionately.  "Come 
in.  Monsieur  will  pardon  me,"  she  went  on  apologetic- 
ally, "for  speaking  so,  but  I  called  you  the  boy-captain 
when  I  was  telling  my  good  man  what  a  bright —  But 
there,  what  you  want  now  is  rest  and  food.  The  ques- 
tion is  where  to  put  you.  We  may  be  searched  at  any 
time,  though  it's  not  likely  that  we  shall  be  for  a  few 
days;  the  battle  has  gone  away  in  the  direction  of 
Orleans,  and  we  have  not  seen  half  a  dozen  men  since  I 
saw  you  two  days  ago.  The  first  thing  is  to  give  you 
something  warm;  you  are  half-frozen.  Sit  down  for  a 
few  minutes.     I  will  soon  make  a  blaze." 

Ralph  sank  down  utterly  exhausted  and  worn  out  in 
the  settle  by  the  fireplace,  and  fell  into  a  half-doze  while 
the  woman  lit  a  bright  fire  on  the  hearth.  In  a  few 
minutes  she  had  drawn  some  liquor  from  the  pot-au-fetc 
— the  soup-pot  which  stands  by  the  fireside  of  every 
French  peasant,  however  poor,  and  into  which  all  the 
odds  and  ends  of  the  household  are  thrown.  This  liquor 
she  put  into  a  smaller  pot,  broke  some  bread  into  it, 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8.  305 

added  an  onion,  which  she  chopped  up  while  it  was 
warming,  together  with  a  little  pepper  and  salt,  and  in 
ten  minutes  from  the  time  of  Ralph',s  entry  she  placed  a 
bowl  of  this  mixture  smoking  hot  before  him. 

At  first  he  seemed  too  exhausted  to  eat,  but  gradually 
his  appetite  returned,  and  he  finished  off  the  hot  broth. 

"What  shall  I  do  to  your  wound,  sir?"  the  woman  said. 
"It  is  a  terrible  sight  at  present." 

"It  is  the  cold  which  saved  my  life,  I  fancy,"  Kalph 
said,  "by  stopping  the  bleeding;  but  now  it  wants  bath- 
ing in  warm  water  for  some  time,  and  then  bandaging. 
But  where  are  you  going  to  put  me?" 

"In  the  boys'  room  upstairs,  sir:  it  is  just  as  they  left 
it." 

"I  have  no  doubt  it  is  very  comfortable,"  Kalph  said, 
"but  all  this  country  is  certain  to  be  scoured  by  the 
enemy's  cavalry.  I  do  not  want  to  be  taken  prisoner, 
and  rather  than  that  I  would  go  and  live  out  in  the 
woods,  and  only  crawl  here  once  a  day  for  some  food." 

The  husband  had  now  come  downstairs,  and  as  he 
aided  his  wife  to  bathe  first  and  then  bandage  the 
wound,  they  talked  over  the  matter,  and  agreed  that 
Ralph  could  be  hill  in  a  loft  over  a  shed  a  hundred  yards 
from  the  house,  and  very  much  concealed  in  the  woods, 
without  much  fear  of  discovery.  The  farmer  at  once 
started  to  make  the  place  as  comfortable  as  he  could, 
and  the  wife  followed  with  a  couple  of  blankets  a  quarter 
of  an  hour  later. 

Ralph  by  this  time  could  scarcely  crawl  along.  The 
fever  consequent  upon  the  wound,  the  fatigue,  and  the 
cold  made  his  head  throb  so  terribly  that  he  could 
scarcely  hold  it  up,  and  had  it  not  been  for  the  assist- 
ance of  the  farmer's  wife  he  could  not  have  crawled 
across  the  short  distance  to  the  shed.  The  loft  was  low 
and  small,  and  when  the  wooden  shutter  of  the  window 


306  THE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREUR8. 

— or  rather  opening,  for  it  was  nnglazed — was  closed,  it 
was  lighted  only  by  the  light  which  came  in  at  the 
crevices.  The  shed  was  altogether  of  wood,  so  that  the 
shutter,  which  happened  to  be  at  its  back,  would  scarcely 
have  been  noticed,  while,  from  the  shed  being  high,  and 
the  loft  very  low,  any  one  inside  would  scarcely  have 
suspected  the  existence  of  any  loft  at  all.  It  was  reached 
by  a  ladder  and  trapdoor. 

The  farmer  assisted  Ralph  up  the  ladder.  The  shutter 
was  open,  and  Ralph  saw  that  the  farmer  had  made  a  bed 
of  straw,  upon  which  his  wife  was  spreading  one  of  the 
blankets.  Ralph  now  took  off  his  uniform  and  lay 
down,  and  was  covered  first  by  the  other  blanket,  and 
then  with  his  own  fur-lined  coat.  The  farmer's  wife 
had  thoughtfully  brought  a  pillow  with  her,  and  Ralph 
in  a  few  minutes  was  lying  in  what,  had  it  not  been  for 
the  pain  of  his  wound,  would  have  been  intense  comfort 
after  the  cold  and  fatigue.  His  hostess  went  away  and 
returned  with  a  large  jug  of  water  and  a  glass,  which  she 
put  down  within  reach  of  his  arm.  "There  is  nothing 
else  you  want?"  she  asked. 

"Nothing,  thank  you,  except  to  sleep,"  Ralph  said. 

"I  shall  shut  this  shutter,"  the  farmer  said:  "enough 
light  will  come  through  the  cracks  to  see  weii  when  your 
eyes  get  accustomed  to  the  darkness.  I  shall  shut  the 
trap  close  down  after  me  as  I  go,  and  lift  down  the 
ladder:  it  is  very  light,  and  my  wife  can  easily  put  it 
into  its  place  again.  We  will  come  and  see  you  again  in 
the  afternoon:  good-by." 

"Good-by,"  Ralph  answered  faintly,  and  before  the 
sound  of  their  footsteps  had  died  away  he  fell  into  a 
sort  of  feverish  doze.  For  a  time  he  turned  uneasily, 
muttered  incoherent  words,  and  moved  his  hands  rest- 
lessly: soon,  however,  the  effects  of  the  cloth  soaked  in 
icy-cold  water,  which  the  farmer's  wife  had   placed   on 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUIiS.  307 

the  bandages  over  the  wound,  began  to  subside  the  fever- 
ish heat,  and  in  half  an  hour  he  was  sleeping  soundly 
and  quietly.  He  woke  at  last  with  a  flash  of  light  in  his 
face,  and,  opening  his  eyes,  saw  the  good  woman  again 
bending  over  him.  "I  am  glad,"  were  her  first  words: 
"I  thought  for  a  moment  you  were  dead." 

"■No,  no,"  Ealph  said,  with  a  faint  smile,  "a  long  way 
from  that  yet.  My  sleep  has  done  me  a  world  of  good. 
What  o'clock  is  it?" 

"Nine  o'clock,"  his  hostess  said.  "I  could  not  come 
before,  for  I  have  had  several  parties  going  past,  and  the 
house  was  searched  once.  I  kept  on  wondering  whether 
you  wanted  me,  until  I  nearly  worked  myself  into  a 
fever." 

"Thank  you,"  .Ralph  said;  "I  have  been  all  the  better 
for  being  allowed  to  sleep  on:  I  have  had  nearly  thirteen 
hours  of  it.  I  feel  queer  about  the  head,  but  otherwise 
I  feel  all  right.     I  am  terribly  thirsty." 

"I  have  got  nothing  but  water  to  offer  you,"  the 
woman  said;  "the  Germans  drank  the  last  drop  of  our 
wine  up  months  ago.  But  I  had  a  few  apples,  and  I 
have  roasted  them  and  put  them  in  this  jug  of  water: 
it  will  give  it  a  taste,  and  is  good  for  fever.  In  this  jug 
is  some  herb  tea,  which  you  must  drink  when  you  feel 
feverish.  And  now  do  you  feel  as  if  you  could  eat  some 
broth?" 

"That  I  do,"  Ralph  said.  His  hostess  put  her  arm 
under  him,  and  raised  him  up  into  a  sitting  posture,  in 
which  she  retained  him  by  kneeling  down  beside  him, 
and  holding  him  up  as  if  he  had  been  a  child.  Then 
she  gave  him  a  basin  of  bread  broth,  and  a  drink  of 
water,  shook  up  his  pillow,  arranged  the  things  over 
him,  and  put  a  fresh  cloth  dipped  in  water  on  his  head. 
''Here  is  a  box  of  matches,"  she  said,  "and  here  is  the 
water  and  herb  tea  in  reach  of  your  arm.  You're  not 
cold,  are  you?" 


308  1HE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

"No,  thank  yon,"  Ralph  said,  "and  in  spite  of  the 
sleep  I  have  had,  I  feel  as  if  I  could  go  off  again  till 
morning  comfortably. " 

"Be  patient  if  I  am  late,"  the  woman  said;  "I  will 
come  as  soon  as  I  can.  If  I  am  late  you  will  know  that 
there  are  Germans  about." 

Ralph's  idea  of  his  capacity  for  sleep  turned  out 
correct.  It  was  still  dark  when  he  woke,  but  striking  a 
match,  he  found  that  it  was  nearly  seven  o'clock.  He 
at  once  blew  out  the  match,  felt  for  the  apple  water, 
took  a  drink,  and  then  nestled  down  deep  into  the  fur 
coat. 

"It  will  be  getting  light  in  another  hour,"  he  said  to 
himself;  "it's  awfully  cold,  too;  but  I  am  better  off  here 
than  I  should  be  in  the  field.  I  hope  she  will  be  here 
soon,  I  want  to  know  if  she  has  any  news.  Well,  there 
is  only  an  hour  to  lie  awake;"  and  almost  as  he  mur- 
mured the  words  Ralph  dropped  off  again,  and  slept  until 
ten  o'clock. 

This  time  he  woke  with  the  slight  creaking  which  the 
trapdoor  made.  "How  are  you  to-day,  M.  le  Capi- 
taine?"  his  hostess  said. 

"I  am  getting  on  capitally,  thanks  to  your  care," 
Ralph  said.     "And  what  have  you  there?" 

"Your  breakfast  and  some  plaster.  My  husband 
started  yesterday  evening  to  walk  to  the  doctor,  who 
lives  twelve  miles  off.  He  told  him  all  about  you,  but  the 
doctor  would  not  come  himself;  however,  he  sent  word 
that  the  wound  was  to  be  washed  well  twice  a  day  with 
warm  water,  and  that  a  little  lint  is  to  be  laid  in  it  each 
time  after  the  bathing;  and  when  the  inflammation  ceases 
to  look  angry,  I  am  to  draw  the  edges  together  as  closely 
as  I  can,  and  strap  them  together  with  these  strips  of 
plaster." 

"It  is  very  kind  of  your  husband,"  Ralph  said,  "very 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  309 

kind.  Did  the  doctor  say  how  long  I  should  be  before  I 
could  be  about  again?" 

"No,"  the  woman  said.  "Jacques  asked  him,  but  he 
said  that  he  could  not  say  without  seeing  the  wound, 
and  examining  you.  Jacques  described  its  position 
coming  down  from  the  back  of  the  head,  taking  off  just 
a  little  bit  of  the  top  of  the  ear,  and  then  ending  on  the 
cheek  bone.  He  said  that  M.  Le  Capitaine  must  have  a 
head  as  thick  as  a  wall,  or  it  would  have  killed  him." 

Ralph  smiled,  and  his  hostess  set  to  work  to  carry  out 
her  instructions. 

"Shall  I  take  away  your  uniform  and  hide  it  away  so 
that  in  case  the  enemy  search  and  find  you  they  will 
have  no  proof  against  you?" 

"No,  no,"  Ralph  said.  "The  uniform  shows  I  am 
not  a  franc -tire  ur,  and  so  will  prevent  my  being  hung, 
and  you  having  your  house  burned  over  your  head.  Be- 
sides which  I  should  be  entitled  to  be  treated  as  an 
officer.  My  uniform  is  the  best  protection  for  us  all. 
Have  you  any  news  of  what  is  going  on?" 

"We  heard  firing  yesterday,"  the  woman  said,  "and 
to-day  we  can  hear  a  constant  booming  from  the  direc- 
tion of  Orleans." 

Ralph  listened,  but  the  bandage  prevented  his  hear- 
ing anything. 

"You  are  very  kind,"  he  said,  "but  you  can  hardly 
think  how  I  want  to  be  off.  However,  I  fear  that  I  am 
here  for  a  week  at  the  very  least.  Just  think  what  I  am 
missing." 

"It  seems  to  me,"  the  woman  said,  "you  are  missing 
a  great  many  chances  of  being  killed,  which  I  should 
consider  to  be  a  very  fortunate  miss  indeed.  I  should 
not  like  Jacques  to  have  that  gash  on  the  head,  but  I 
would  a  great  deal  rather  that  he  was  lying  here  wounded 
just  as  you  are  than  to  know  that  he  was  in  the  middle 


310  THE  YOU  NO  FRANC-TIREURS. 

of  all  that  fighting  at  Orleans.  Be  patient,  my  friend, 
we  will  do  our  best  for  you.  If  you  have  no  fever,  to- 
morrow  Jacques  will  try  and  buy  some  meat  and  some 
wine  for  you  at  one  of  the  villages,  and  then  you  will 
soon  get  quite  strong." 

When  Ralph  had  eaten  his  breakfast  he  again  lay 
down,  and  his  kind  hostess  left  him,  as  her  husband  was 
obliged  to  be  out  and  at  work,  and  it  was  necessary  that 
she  should  be  at  home  to  answer  any  straggling  troops 
of  the  enemy  who  might  pass. 

"I  wish  I  had  Tim  with  me,"  Ealph  said  to  himself. 
"Tim  would  amuse  me  and  make  me  laugh.  It  would 
be  desperately  cold  for  him.  I  am  all  right  under  my 
blanket  and  this  warm  coat.  Well,  I  suppose  I  must 
try  to  sleep  as  many  hours  away  as  I  can." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIBEUM8.  311 


CHAPTER    XX. 

CROSSING    THE   LINES. 

Ralph  was  destined  to  a  longer  stay  upon  his  hay  bed 
in  the  loft  than  he  had  anticipated.  The  next  day, 
instead  of  being  better  he  was  a  good  deal  worse;  in- 
flammation had  again  set  in,  and  he  was  feverish  and 
incoherent  in  his  talk.  He  was  conscious  of  this  him- 
self, by  seeing  the  dismay  in  the  face  of  the  nurse  when 
he  had  been  rambling  on  to  her  for  some  time  in  Eng- 
lish. At  last,  with  an  effort,  he  commanded  his  atten- 
tion and  said  to  her: 

"How  far  is  it  from  here  to  Orleans?" 

"Seventeen  miles/'  she  said. 

"Look  here/'  he  said,  "you  are  very  kind,  and  I 
know  that  you  do  not  want  to  be  paid  for  your  kindness; 
but  I  am  well  off,  and  I  know  you  have  lost  your  horse 
and  cow,  and  so  you  must  let  me  pay  you  for  what  yon 
do  for  me.  I  am  afraid  I  am  going  to  have  fever.  I 
want  your  husband  to  go  into  Orleans.  The  Prussians 
went  in  yesterday,  you  say,  and  so  your  husband  will  not 
have  to  cross  any  outposts  to  get  there.  There  is  an 
English  ambulance  there.  I  will  write  a  line  in  pencil, 
and  I  am  sure  they  will  give  him  some  fever  medicine 
and  anything  else  I  may  require.  Please  feel  in  the 
breast  pocket  of  my  coat;  you  will  find  a  pocketbook 
with  a  pencil  in  it." 

The  woman  did  as  he  told  her,  and  Ralph  with  a  great 
effort  wrote: 


312  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-T1REURS. 

.  "I  am  an  Englishman,  though  a  captain  in  the  French 
service:  I  am  wounded  with  a  saber  in  the  head,  and  am 
sheltered  in  a  loft.  Inflammation  has  set  in,  and  I  fear 
fever.  I  am  obliged  indeed  to  make  a  great  effort  to 
master  it  sufficiently  to  write  this.  Please  send  some 
fever  medicine  by  the  bearer,  and  some  arrowroot;  a  lemon 
or  two  would  be  a  great  blessing. — Kalph  Barclay/ 


9) 


He  then  tore  out  the  leaf,  folded  and  directed  it  to 
the  head  of  the  English  ambulance,  Orleans. 

"How  is  he  to  know  the  English  ambulance?" 

"It  has  a  red  cross  on  a  white  ground  as  all  the  others 
have,  and  an'  English  flag — that  is,  a  flag  with  red  and 
white  stripes  going  from  corner  to  corner  and  crossing 
each  other  in  the  middle.     But  any  one  will  tell  him." 

"I  am  sure  he  will  set  out  at  once,"  the  woman  said, 
and  left  the  loft. 

In  ten  minutes  she  returned.  "He  has  started,"  she 
said,  "but  not  to  Orleans.  My  husband,  directly  I  gave 
him  the  message,  said  that  he  had  heard  that  there  was 
an  English  ambulance  at  Terminiers  attending  to  the 
wounded  picked  up  on  the  battlefield.  It  is  only  five 
miles  from  here." 

"Thank  God  for  that,"  Ralph  said. 

Three  hours  later  the  farmer  returned  with  a  bottle  of 
medicine,  some  arrowroot,  lemons,  a  bottle  of  wine, 
some  Liebig's  essence  of  meat  for  making  broth,  and  a 
message  that  the  English  surgeon  would  ride  over  as 
soon  as  he  could  get  away.  The  farmer  had  given  him 
detailed  instructions  for  finding  the  house,  but  was 
afraid  of  stopping  to  act  as  his  guid3,  as,  had  he  been 
seen  walking  by  the  side  of  the  surgeon's  horse,  the  sus- 
picions of  any  German  they  might  encounter  would  be 
at  once  excited.  The  surgeon  arrived  an  hour  later,  and 
was  at  once  taken  to  Ralph's  bedside.  Ralph,  however, 
could  not  speak   to,  or  even  recognize  the  presence  of 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  813 

his  countryman,  for  he  was  in  a  high  state  of  fever. 
The  surgeon  examined  his  wound  carefully. 

"I  think  he  will  get  over  it,"  he  said  to  the  farmer's 
wife,  "It  is  a  nasty  cut,  but  there  is  nothing  dangerous 
in  the  wound  itself.  It  is  the  general  shock  to  the 
system,  together  with  the  hardships  and  suffering  he 
had  gone  through.  He  is  a  mere  boy,  not  above  seven- 
teen or  eighteen.  He  says  in  his  note  he  is  a  captain, 
but  it  can  hardly  be  so." 

"He  is  a  captain,  sir;  there  is  his  uniform  hanging 
up." 

"Yes,"  the  surgeon  said,  "that  is  the  uniform  of  a 
captain  in  the  staff,  and  he  has  got  the  commander's 
button  of  the  Legion  of  Honor.  I  wonder  who  he  can  be. 
Ralph  Barclay,"  he  said  thoughtfully,  looking  at  the 
pencil  note  Ealph  had  sent  to  him.  "Ah,  now  I  remem- 
ber the  name.  I  thought  it  was  familiar  to  me.  This 
is  the  young  Englishman  who  made  his  way  through  the 
lines  into  Paris  with  dispatches.'  He  is  a  fine  young 
fellow:  we  must  do  what  we  can  for  him." 

"Could  you  take  him  into  your  hospital,  sir?"  the 
woman  asked. 

"He  will  be  better  where  he  is,  if  you  will  continue  to 
nurse  him." 

"Yes,  I  will  do  that,  but  I  thought  he  would  be  so 
much  better  looked  after  in  the  hospital." 

"No,"  the  surgeon  said,  "that  is  just  what  he  would 
not  be.  Every  room  is  literally  crowded  with  wounded, 
and  wounds  do  infinitely  better  in  fresh,  pure  air  like 
this  than  in  a  room  with  a  close  atmosphere,  and  other 
bad  wounds.  The  fever  medicine  I  sent  over  will  last 
him  for  some  days.  I  have  brought  over  a  tin  of  little 
biscuits.  Give  him  the  fever  medicine  every  two  hours 
until  there  is  a  change,  and  whenever  you  can  get  him 
to  take  it,  give  him  a  little  broth  made  of  a  spoonful  of 


3M  THE  YOUNG  FRANC  TIRKURS. 

the  essence  of  meat  in  a  liter  of  boiling  water,  or  for  a 
change  some  arrowroot.  I  will  show  you  how  to  make 
it  when  we  get  back  to  the  house.  Can  you  manage  to 
stay  with  him?  He  will  want  a  good  deal  of  looking 
after  for  the  next  two  days." 

"Yes,  sir,  I  was  talking  to  Jacques  about  it  to-day: 
he  will  go  over  to  the  next  village,  it  is  only  a  mile 
away,  and  will  fetch  my  sister  who  lives  there  to  keep 
house  for  a  bit." 

"That  is  capital,"  the  surgeon  said.  "And  now 
watch  attentively  how  I  put  this  bandage  on,  and  do  it 
the  same  way  once  a  day.  When  you  have  put  the  band- 
age on  you  must  put  wet  cloths  to  his  head  as  long  as 
he  remains  delirious.  I  am  awfully  busy,  out  I  will  ride 
over  again  in  three  or  four  days  to  see  how  he  is  getting 
on.  By  the  way,  it  may  be  an  advantage  to  you  if  I 
give  you  a  paper  signed  by  me  to  say  that  you  are  taking 
care  of  a  wounded  French  officer  at  my  request,  as, 
although  you  wished  to  send  him  to  the  ambulance,  I 
refused,  because  in  the  first  place  he  could  not  bear 
moving,  and  in  the  second,  the  ambulance  was  as  full  as 
it  could  possibly  hold.  That  will  clear  you  in  case  any 
German  parties  come  along  and  find  him." 

It  was  a  week  before  Ralph  opened  his  eyes  with  any 
consciousness  of  what  he  saw.  He  looked  round  with  a 
vague  wonderment  as  to  where  he  was.  In  a  minute  or 
two  a  look  of  recognition  came  into  his  face.  Looking 
round  he  saw  that  there  were  changes.  A  small  piece 
had  been  sawn  out  of  the  shutter  so  as  to  let  in  air  and 
light  while  it  remained  closed.  A  table  and  a  chair  were 
beside  his  bed.  In  a  corner  of  the  loft  was  a  small  flat 
stove,  with  a  few  embers  glowing  upon  it  and  a  saucepan 
standing  among  them.  Upon  the  opposite  side  of  the 
loft  to  that  where  he  was  lying  was  a  heap  of  hay  similar 
to  his  own,  with  a  figure  rolled  up  in  a  blanket  lying  on 


THE  TO  UNO  FRANC-TIREURS.  315 

it.  For  some  time  Ralph  thought  all  this  over  in  the 
vague  wandering  way  peculiar  to  people  recovering  from 
a  long  illness.  Most  he  puzzled  over  the  occupant  of 
the  other  bed,  and  at  last  concluded  that  it  was  some 
fugitive  like  himself.  For  some  time  he  lay  and  watched 
the  figure,  until  presently  it  moved,  threw  off  the 
blanket  and  rose,  and  to  his  surprise  he  saw  that  it  was 
his  nwrse. 

"Thanks  to  all  the  saints!"  she  exclaimed,  when  she 
saw  him  looking  at  her.  "You  are  better  at  last.  I 
think  that  I  was  asleep  too.  But  you  were  sleeping  so 
quiet  that  I  thought  I  would  take  a  nap,  for  I  was  so 
sleepy." 

"How  long  have  I  been  here?"  Ralph  asked. 

"Just  a  week  from  the  time  the  fever  took  you.  The 
English  doctor  came  over  and  saw  you,  and  sent  lots  of 
things  for  you,  and  said  you  were  not  to  be  left;  so  I 
had  the  bed  made  up  here,  and  my  sister  came  over  to 
take  care  of  Jacques.  And  now  you  must  not  talk  any 
more:  drink  this  broth,  and  then  go  off  to  sleep  again." 

Ralph  complied;  he  was  too  tired  and  weak  to  ask  any 
more  questions,  and  it  was  not  until  next  day  that  he 
heard  of  the  obstinate  battles  which  General  Chanzy 
had  fought  on  the  7th,  8th,  and  10th,  near  Beanguency. 

"Thank  goodness,"  Ralph  said,  "we  can't  have  been 
very  badly  beaten  if  we  were  able  to  fight  three  drawn 
battles  within  about  twenty  miles  of  a  first  defeat." 

For  the  next  two  days  Ralph  improved  in  health;  then 
he  had  a  relapse,  and  was  very  ill  for  some  days;  then 
he  began  steadily  but  slowly  to  gain  strength.  It  was 
three  weeks  after  his  arrival  at  the  cottage  before  he 
could  walk,  another  week  before  he  had  recovered  his 
strength  sufficiently  to  think  of  moving.  One  of  his 
first  anxieties  after  recovering  consciousness  after  his  first 
and  longest  attack  of  fever  had  been  upon  the  subject 


316  THE  YOUNO  FRANC-TIREURS. 

of  the  terrible  anxiety  which  they  must  be  feeling  at 
home  respecting  him.  They  would  hare  heard  from 
Colonel  Tempe  that  he  was  missing,  and  as  he  would 
have  been  seen  to  fall,  it  was  probable  that  he  was  reported 
as  dead. 

Ralph's  only  consolation  was  that  as  the  Germans 
were  at  Dijon,  the  communication  would  be  yery  slow 
and  uncertain;  and  although  it  was  now  ten  days  since 
the  engagement,  it  was  possible,  if  he  could  but  get  a 
letter  sent  at  once,  that  they  would  get  it  nearly  if  not 
quite  as  quickly  as  the  one  from  Colonel  Tempe,  espe- 
cially if,  as  was  very  probable,  the  colonel  would  be  a 
great  deal  too  engaged  during  the  week's  tremendous* 
fighting  which  succeeded  the  day  upon  which  Ralph  was 
wounded  for  him  to  be  able  to  write  letters. 

The  first  time  that  he  saw  the  English  surgeon  he 
mentioned  this  anxiety,  and  the  doctor  at  once  offered 
to  take  charge  of  a  letter,  and  to  forward  it  with  his  own 
in  the  military  post  bag,  to  the  headquarters  of  the 
ambulance  at  Versailles,  together  with  a  note  to  the 
head  of  the  ambulance  there,  begging  him  to  get  it  sent 
on  in  the  first  bag  for  Dijon.  In  this  way  it  would 
arrive  at  its  destination  within  four  or  five  days  at  most 
of  its  leaving  Orleans. 

It  was  on  the  2d  of  January,  exactly  a  month  from 
the  date  of  the  fight  in  which  he  was  wounded,  that, 
after  very  many  thanks  to  his  kind  host  and  hostess,  and 
after  forcing  a  handsome  present  upon  them,  Ralph 
started,  in  a  peasant's  dress  which  had  been  bought  for 
him,  for  Orleans.  He  had  still  plenty  of  money  with 
him,  for  he  had  drawn  the  reward  of  fifty  thousand 
francs  in  Paris.  The  greater  portion  of  this  money  he 
had  paid  into  the  hands  of  a  banker  at  Tours,  but  Percy 
and  he  had  kept  out  a  hundred  pounds  each,  knowing  by 
experience  how  useful  it  is  in  case  of  being  taken  pris- 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  317 

oner  to  have  plenty  of  money.  Ralph's  wound  was  still 
bound  up  with  plaster,  and  to  conceal  it  a  rabbit-skin 
cap  with  flaps  had  been  bought,  so  that  by  letting  down 
the  flaps  and  tying  them  under  the  chin  the  greater  part 
of  the  cheeks  was  covered. 

The  farmer  had  made  inquiries  among  his  neighbors, 
and  finding  one  who  was  going  into  Orleans  with  a  horse 
and  cart,  he  had  asked  him  to  give  Ralph  a  lift  to  that 
place.  The  start  had  been  effected  early,  and  it  was 
three  o'clock  when  they  drove  into  Orleans.  Here 
Ralph  shook  hands  with  his  driver,  who  wished  him  a 
safe  journey  home,  and  strolled  leisurely  down  the 
streets.  Orleans  presented  a  miserable  aspect.  The 
inhabitants  kept  themselves  shut  up  in  their  houses  as 
much  as  possible;  the  bishop  was  kept  a  prisoner  by  the 
Prussians  in  his  own  palace,  troops  were  quartered  in 
every  house,  the  inhabitants  were  for  the  most  part  in  a 
state  of  poverty,  and  the  shops  would  have  been  all  shut, 
had  not  the  Prussians  ordered  them  to  be  kept  open. 
The  streets  were  thronged  with  German  troops,  and 
long  trains  of  carts  were  on  their  way  through  with  pro- 
visions for  the  army.  These  carts  were  requisitioned 
from  the  peasantry,  and  were  frequently  taken  immense 
distances  from  home;  the  owner,  or  driver  if  the  owner 
was  rich  enough  to  pay  one,  being  obliged  to  accompany 
them. 

Many  were  the  sad  scenes  witnessed  in  these  convoys. 
The  grief  of  a  father  dragged  away,  not  knowing  what 
would  become  of  his  wife  and  children  during  his 
absence.  The  anguish  of  a  laborer  at  seeing  his  horse 
fall  dead  with  fatigue,  knowing  well  that  he  had  no 
means  of  taking  his  cart  home  again,  and  that  he  had 
nothing  to  do  but  to  return  to  his  home  and  tell  his  wife 
that  the  horse  and  cart,  which  constituted  his  sole 
wealth,  were    gone.     Ralph    waited,  until   late   in   the 


S18  THE  TOUNG  FRANC-TIRE  UBS. 

afternoon  he  saw  a  long  train  halt  by  one  of  the  bridges. 
It  was  evidently  intending  to  cross  the  next  morning 
and  go  down  south.  In  a  short  time  the  horses  were 
taken  out  and  fastened  by  halters  to  the  carts,  two  or 
three  soldiers  took  up  their  posts  as  sentries,  and  the 
drivers  were  suffered  to  leave,  the  Germans  knowing 
that  there  was  no  chance  of  their  deserting  and  leaving 
their  horses  and  carts. 

The  poor  fellows  dispersed  through  the  town,  those 
who  had  any  money  bought  food,  those  who  had  not 
begged,  for  the  Germans  allowed  them  no  rations,  and 
left  them  to  shift  for  themselves,  or  starve,  as  they 
liked.  Ealph  joined  in  conversation  with  a  group  of 
these,  who  were  relating  their  hardships  to  two  or  three 
sympathetic  listeners.  An  old  man  especially  was  almost 
heartbroken.  His  wife  was  dying,  and  he  had  been 
forced  from  her  bedside. 

"What  could  I  do?"  he  asked  pitifully.  "I  was  a 
carrier;  my  horse  and  cart  were  all  I  had  in  the  world: 
if  I  had  not  gone  with  them  they  were  lost  forever:  what 
was  I  to  do?" 

No  one  could  answer  him,  but  when  the  party  had 
broken  up  Ralph  went  up  to  him. 

"How  much  are  your  horse  and  cart  worth?"  he  asked. 

"The  horse  is  worth  five  hundred  francs,"  he  said; 
"the  cart  is  an  old  one:  two  hundred  and  fifty  would 
pay  for  it.     It  is  not  much  you  see,  but  it  is  all  I  have." 

"Look  here,  old  man,"  Ralph  said;  "I  am  not  what  I 
look:  I  am  a  French  officer,  and  I  want  to  get  down 
near  the  Prussian  outposts,  but  without  passes  I  could 
not  get  on;  besides,  I  have  been  wounded,  and  am  too 
weak  to  walk  far.  I  will  give  you  the  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  francs  which  are  the  value  of  your  horse  and 
cart,  and  will  take  your  place  as  driver,  so  that  you  can 
start  back  at  once  to  your  wife.     Do  you  agree?" 


THE  YOUNG  FHANC-TIllEURS.  319 

The  old  man  was  so  affected  with  joy  that  he  burst 
into  tears. 

"God  bless  you,  sir,"  he  said;  "you  have  saved  my 
life,  and  my  poor  wife's  life  too." 

"Very  well,  it  is  a  bargain  then,"  Kalph  said;  "here 
is  half  the  money,  you  shall  have  the  rest  to-morrow. 
Now  you  must  go  with  me  to-morrow  morning  at  the 
hour  for  starting,  and  tell  the  officer  in  charge  that  I 
am  a  nephew  of  yours  living  here,  but  out  of  work  at 
present,  and  that  you  have  arranged  with  me  to  drive 
the  cart  as  long  as  it's  wanted,  and  then  to  take  it  home 
again." 

After  a  few  more  words  the  peasant  took  him  back 
and  showed  him  his  cart,  in  order  that  he  might  know 
where  to  find  him  in  the  morning.  "We  start  at  day- 
break," he  said,  "so  you  had  better  be 'here  by  half-past 
six." 

"Where  do  you  sleep?"  Ralph  asked. 

"I?  Oh,  I  don't  sleep  much.  I  lie  down  for  a  bit 
underneath  the  carts,  and  then  walk  about  to  warm 
myself." 

"Take  this  warm  fur  coat  of  mine,"  Ralph  said;  "it 
will  keep  you  warm  to-night,  anyhow:  I  shan't  want  it, 
I  shall  get  a  bed  somewhere." 

The  coat  was  the  one  Ralph  had  worn  on  his  night 
walk  after  being  wounded.  He  had  had  all  the  braid 
and  the  fur  of  the  collar  and  cuffs  taken  off,  and  had 
had  it  purposely  dirtied  so  that  it  was  no  longer  a  gar- 
ment which  could  attract  attention  on  the  back  of  a 
man  with  a  cart. 

After  some  difficulty  Ralph  got  a  bed,  and  was  at  the 
agreed  place  at  the  appointed  time.  The  old  man  went 
up  to  the  Prussian  sergeant  in  command,  and  told  the 
tale  Ralph  had  dictated  to  him.  The  sergeant  agreed 
to  the  arrangement  with   a  brief  nod,    the   old    man 


320  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS. 

handed  Kalph  his  whip,  and  returned  him  the  fur  coat, 
which  Ralph  was  glad  enough  to  put  on,  for  the  morning 
was  bitterly  cold,  and  Ralph,  enfeebled  by  his  illness, 
felt  it  keenly.  In  another  five  minutes  the  carts  were 
in  motion  across  the  bridge  and  then  away  due  south. 

For  half  an  hour  Ralph  walked  by  the  side  of  his  cart, 
and  being  by  that  time  thoroughly  warm,  he  jumped  up 
in  the  cart,  and  rode  during  the  rest  of  the  day,  getting 
down  and  walking  for  a  short  time  only  when  he  found 
his  feet  getting  numbed  with  the  cold.  In  the  afternoon 
they  arrived  at  La  Ferte,  some  fifteen  miles  from 
Orleans.  There  they  remained  for  the  night.  There 
were  not  very  many  troops  here,  and  Ralph  could  have 
obtained  a  bed  by  paying  well  for  it,  but  he  feared  to 
attract  attention  by  the  possession  of  unusual  funds,  and 
therefore  slept  in  a  hay-loft,  afraid,  in  spite  of  his  fur 
coat,  to  sleep  in  the  open  air. 

The  next  morning  the  train  was  divided,  twenty  of 
the  carts  going  down  toward  Romorantin,  while  the  rest, 
now  fifteen  in  number,  kept  on  toward  Salbris.  Ralph's 
cart  formed  part  of  this  latter  division.  The  night  after 
they  left  La  Ferte  they  halted  at  La  Motte  Beuvron, 
where  there  was  a  strong  force  of  Germans.  The  follow- 
ing day  only  four  carts  continued  their  route  to  Salbris, 
Ralph  happening  again  to  be  among  them.  He  had 
regretted  two  days  before  that  he  had  not  formed  part 
of  the  division  for  Romorantin,  as  from  that  place  he 
would  have  been  less  than  twenty  miles  from  Tours, 
which  the  Prussians  had  not  yet  entered;  but  as  he  had 
the  good  fortune  to  go  on  to  Salbris,  he  did  not  mind, 
as  Salbris,  like  Romorantin,  was  one  of  the  most  ad- 
vanced stations. 

They  arrived  late  in  the  afternoon  and  the  carts  were 
at  once  unloaded.  The  sergeant-in-charge  told  them 
to  wait  while  he  got  their  papers  for  them,  and  in  ten 
minutes  he  returned. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  321 

"You  will  have  to-morrow  to  rest  your  horses,  and 
the  next  day  a  train  will  start  for  the  north.  Your 
work  is  over  now,  as  there  is  nothing  to  go  back.  Here 
are  the  passes  for  you  saying  that  you  have  carried  goods 
down  here  for  the  army,  and  are  therefore  to  return 
back  without  your  carts  being  further  requisitioned. " 

Ralph  put  up  his  horse  and  cart  for  an  hour  in  the 
village  while  he  went  to  search  for  some  farmhouse  upon 
which  no  Prussian  soldiers  were  quartered.  He  was 
unable  for  some  time  to  find  one;  but  at  last  over  a  mile 
from  this  town  he  found  a  small  place  which  had  escaped 
the  attention  of  the  Prussian  quartermaster,  and  where 
there  was  a  small  unoccupied  stable.  Ralph  soon  struck 
a  bargain  with  its  owner,  returned  to  Salbris,  mounted 
his  cart,  drove  out,  and  was  soon  settled  in  the  little 
farmhouse.  He  anticipated  no  great  difficulty  in  pass- 
ing out  through  the  outposts,  as  there  was  no  French 
force  of  any  importance  near;  and  the  German  troops 
interfered  but  little  with  the  movements  of  the  country 
people. 

The  affair,  however,  turned  out  more  easy  than  he  had 
anticipated,  for  toward  morning  he  was  awoke  by  the 
distant  sound  of  bug.'~3.  "Something  is  up,"  he  said 
to  himself,  "either  a  French  attack,  a  general  advance, 
or  a  recall.  If  it  should  be  the  latter  lam  in  luck. " 
It  turned  out  to  be  as  Ralph  hoped.  The  peasant  in 
whose  house  he  was  stopping  went  into  Salbris  early, 
and  came  back  with  the  news  that  there  was  no  longer  a 
German  there.  Orders  had  come  for  them  to  fall  back 
toward  Orleans.  "I  am  not  at  all  surprised,"  Ralph 
said  when  he  heard  it,  "for  Orleans  was  emptying  fast 
of  troops.  This  sudden  march  of  Bourbaki  for  the  east, 
and  the  necessity  to  reinforce  Frederick  Charles  near 
Vendome,  must  try  even  Prussian  resources  to  the 
utmost." 


322  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRKURS. 

Half  an  hour  later  Ealph  was  jogging  along  on  his 
way  to  Vierzon.  There  he  found  that  the  railway  was 
open  to  Bourges,  from  which  town  he  should  have  no 
difficulty  in  getting  on  to  Dijon.  He  soon  found  a  pur- 
chaser for  his  horse  and  cart  at  ten  pounds,  and  the  next 
morning  started  on  his  way  home. 


THE  YOUNG  FMANG-TIREUHS.  323 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

HOME. 

It  was  a  long  journey  from  Vierzon  to  Dijon.  At 
Bourges  Ralph  had  taken  advantage  of  a  delay  of  some 
hours,  necessitated  by  the  fact  that  no  train  was  going, 
to  get  some  suitable  clothes  instead  of  the  peasant's  suit 
in  which  he  had  traversed  the  lines.  He  had  of  course 
brought  his  papers  with  him,  so  that  he  had  no  difficulty 
whatever  in  getting  on  by  the  train;  but  the  train  itself 
made  but  slow  work  of  it.  Bourbaki  had  passed  west 
only  the  week  before  with  all  his  army,  upon  his  march 
to  the  relief  ?c  Belfort,  and  the  railway  was  completely 
choked.  However,  Ralph  was  not  inclined  to  grumble 
at  the  cause  of  his  delay,  for  it  was  only  upon  Bourbaki's 
approach  that  the  Germans  had  evacuated  Dijon,  which 
was  now  held  by  Garibaldi's  irregulars  and  a  considera- 
ble force  of  Mobiles. 

So  great  were  the  delays  that  it  was  evening  when  the 
train  reached  Dijon. 

Ralph  had  scarcely  stepped  out  on  to  the  platform 
when  Percy  bounded  upon  him  and  threw  his  arms 
round  his  neck.  "Dear,  dear  old  Ralph;  thank  God 
you  are  back  again." 

"My  dear  Percy,  where  did  you  spring  from?" 

"I  have  been  home  five  days.  I  was  still  down  at 
Marseilles  when  I  heard  that  Dijon  was  open  again,  and 
I  came  straight  up.     And  how  are  you,  Ralph?" 

"Oh,  I  am  getting  all  right  again.  How  are  they  all 
at  home?" 


324  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIIIKURS. 

"Well,  quite  well,  but  dreadfully  anxious  about  you." 

By  this  time  the  boys  were  out  of  the  station  and  were 
walking  homeward. 

"But  you  have  not  told  me  how  you  happened  to  be 
at  the  station. " 

"Well,  I  was  waiting  there  just  on  the  chance  of  see- 
ing you.  Mamma  was  so  dreadfully  anxious  about  you 
that  I  wanted  to  do  something.  At  any  rate  I  could  not 
sit  quiet  at  home.  There  are  never  more  than  two  trains 
with  passengers  in  a  day,  sometimes  only  one;  so  I  have 
been  staying  down  in  the  town  most  of  the  day  since  I 
came  home,  having  paid  one  of  the  railway  people  to 
send  me  word  directly  the  train  was  telegraphed  as  start- 
ing from  D61e." 

"How  long  is  it  since  my  letter  arrived ?" 

"Nearly  three  weeks,  Ealph:  fortunately  it  came  four 
or  five  days  before  a  letter  from  Tempe  saying  that  he 
feared  you  were  killed.  Not  having  heard  again  they  were 
terribly  anxious." 

"I  had  no  means  of  writing,"  Ealph  said.  "The 
English  ambulance,  through  whom  my  letter  was  sent, 
moved  down  to  Vendome  ths  very  day  after  I  wrote,  and 
I  had  no  other  way  of  sending  my  letter." 

"I  said  it  was  something  of  that  sort.  I  pointed  out  to 
them  that  it  was  evident  by  what  you  said  that  the  fever 
had  passed  off,  and  that  you  only  wanted  strength,  but 
that  being  in  hiding,  of  course  you  could  not  write.  I 
gave  you  three  weeks  to  get  strong  enough  to  start,  and 
four  or  five  days  to  manage  to  get  through  the  lines,  so 
that  by  my  calculation  you  were  just  due  when  you 
arrived.  It  has  palled  you  down,  Ealph,  very  much.  I 
wish  I  had  been  there  to  nurse  you." 

"Thank  you,  Percy.  Fortunately  I  did  fall  into  very 
good  hands  and  was  well  looked  after.  I  hope  papa  has 
not  been  over-anxious  about  me?" 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  3&5 

"I  think  he  has  been  nervous,  Ealph,  but  he  did  not 
show  it,  but  talked  cheerfully  to  keep  up  mamma  and 
Milly." 

"And  you  are  quite  strong  again,  Percy?" 

"Yes,  I  think  I  am  nearly  as  strong  as  ever,  Ealph. 
There,  we  are  just  at  the  house  now.  You  had  better 
wait  outside  while  I  go  in  and  let  them  know  gradually 
that  you  are  home.  I  came  in  like  a  fool  suddenly,  and 
mamma  fainted,  she  says  for  the  first  time  in  her  life, 
and  Milly  went  into  hysterics,  and  cried  and  laughed  so 
wildly  that  you  might  have  heard  her  in  Dijon.  She 
frightened  me  nearly  out  of  my  senses." 

Ralph  remained  accordingly  outside  the  door  while 
Percy  went  in  alone.     The  others  had  finished  tea. 

"Yon  are  a  little  late,  Percy,"  Mrs.  Barclay  said. 
"We  gave  you  twenty  minutes'  law.  It  is  not  the  least 
matter  your  being  late,  but  I  do  not  think  it  is  wise  to 
be  out  these  bitter  nights  until  you  are  quite  strong." 

"I  am  quite  strong,  mamma,  as  strong  as  ever,"  Percy 
laughed;  but  his  laugh  was,  in  spite  of  himself,  a  little 
unnatural.     His  father  looked  sharply  up. 

Percy  sat  down  and  drank  a  little  of  the  tea  his  mother 
handed  to  him. 

"I  waited  for  the  train  to  come  in,"  he  said,  "and — of 
course  it  may  not  be  so — but  I  heard  of  some  one  who, 
"by  the  description,  seemed  to  be  Ralph." 

"What  was  it,  Percy,  what  was  it?"  Milly  cried,  while 
her  mother  gazed  at  him  with  a  pale  face  and  appealing 
eyes. 

"Don't  agitate  yourself,  mamma  dear;  you  see  it  may 
not  be  true  after  all;  but  among  the  people  in  the 
train  was  one  who  had  come  straight  from  Bourges.  I 
spoke  to  him,  and  he  said  that  he  had  heard  by  a  friend 
who  had  come  straight  from  Vierzon,  that  a  young 
officer  had  just  arrived  there  in  disguise  who  had  been 


126  THE  YOUNG  FBANG-TIBEURb. 

wounded  and  in  hiding  ever  since  the  capture  of  Orleans. 
You  know,  mamma,  it  is  just  the  time  I  calculated  he 
would  be  coming,  and  from  the  fact  of  his  being  a  young 
staff  office  and  in  disguise  I  have  very  little  doubt  it  is 
Ralph." 

Captain  Barclay  rose  from  his  seat,  and  standing  for  a 
moment  behind  his  wife's  chair,  looked  at  Percy,  and 
ihon  at  the  door  inquiringly.     Percy  nodded. 

Captain  Barclay  leaned  over  and  kissed  his  wife. 
"Thank  God,  dear,  for  all  His  mercies!  Another  day  or 
two  and  we  shall  be  having  him  home." 

"Thank  God,  indeed!"  Mrs.  Barclay  said:  "but 
though  I  hope,  though  I  try  to  think  it  was  he,  per- 
haps it  was  not,  perhaps " 

"No,  mamma,"  Percy  said;  "from  some  particulars 
he  gave,  and  from  what  he  said,  I  feel  almost  sure,  I 
may  say  I  am  quite  sure,  it  is  Ralph.  I  would  not  say 
so  you  know  unless  I  felt  very  certain." 

Mrs.  Barclay  felt  that  he  would  not,  and  fell  into  her 
husband's  arms,  crying  softly  with  happiness. 

Milly  was  no  longer  in  the  room.  She  had  caught 
the  glance  between  her  father  and  Percy,  and  had  rightly 
interpreted  it.  She  had  risen  to  her  feet,  but  a  warning 
gesture  from  Captain  Barclay  had  checked  the  cry  of 
gladness  on  her  lips,  and  she  had  stolen  quietly  from  the 
room,  closed  the  door  noiselessly,  had  flown  to  the  front 
door  and  out  into  the  road  beyond,  and  was  now  crying 
happily  in  Ralph's  arms. 

"And  when  do  you  think  he  can  get  here,  Richard?" 
Mrs.  Barclay  asked  her  husband. 

"Soon,  dear;  quite  soon,"  he  answered;  "he  may 
come  to-morrow.  He  would  be  certain  to  come  almost 
as  quickly  as  the  news." 

"Oh,  how  happy  I  am!"  Mrs.  Barclay  said.  "Thank 
God  for  His  mercies!  To  think  that  to-morrow  I  may 
have  both  ray  boys  back  again." 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURS.  $2? 

"Viil  there  be  another  train  in  to-night,  Percy?7* 
Oaptain  Barclay  asked. 

"Quite  possibly/'  Percy  said;  "indeed,  indeed — "and 
he  hesitated,  "you  see  I  walked  up  fast;  it  is  just  possi- 
ble that  he  may  have  arrived  by  this  train." 

Mrs.  Barclay  understood  now. 

"He  is  come,"  she  exclaimed,  looking  up.  "I  know 
it  now." 

Captain  Barclay  took  her  up  in  his  arms.  "You  can 
bear  it,  can't  you,  Millicent?    Yes,  dear,  he  has  come." 

Percy  saw  that  it  was  safe  now.  He  went  to  the  door 
and  opened  it.  Ealph  was  standing  outside  in  readiness, 
and  in  another  moment  his  mother  was  in  his  arms. 

Later  in  the  evening  Captain  Barclay  said  to  Ralph, 
"I  suppose  to-morrow  you  will  obtain  a  medical  certifi- 
cate, and  write  to  General  Chanzy,  saying  that  you  are 
alive,  but  unable  to  rejoin?" 

"Yes,"  Ealph  answered;  "I  suppose  that  will  be  the 
best  plan.     I  must  have  a  month's  rest." 

"That  means,  my  dear  boy,  that  you  will  not  have  to 
go  out  any  more.  Another  month  will  see  the  end  of 
the  struggle;  or  at  any  rate  if  the  end  has  not  absolutely 
arrived,  it  will  unmistakable.  The  game  is,  I  am  con- 
vinced, altogether  lost.  A  fortnight  ago  I  had  still 
hope.  Chanzy  and  Bourbaki  had  each  an  army  nearly 
or  quite  equal  to  that  of  Prince  Frederick  Charles.  He 
could  not  attack  one  in  force  without  leaving  the  road 
to  Paris  open  to  the  other.  Bourkbaki  has  come  upon 
this  mad  expedition  to  the  east,  and  you  will  see  Prince 
Frederick  Charles  will  throw  his  whole  strength  upon 
Chanzy,  crush  him,  and  then  attend  to  Bourbaki. 
Bourbaki  may  relieve  Belfort,  but  in  that  corner  of 
France  what  is  he  to  do?  Prussian  reinforcements  are 
coming  down  to  Werder  every  day.  Troops  are  march- 
ing on  this  town  from  Paris,  and  if  Bourbaki  is  not  won- 


328  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

derfuliy  quick  we  shall  have  another  Sedan  here.  After 
the  defeat  of  these,  the  last  two  armies  of  France,  it 
would  be  madness  to  continue  the  war.  Paris  must  sur- 
render, for  there  would  be  no  further  possibility  of 
relief,  and  there  would  be  no  advantage  whatever  in 
enduring  further  sufferings.  No,  my  boys,  I  said  'Go,' 
when  I  thought  that  there  was  a  possiblity  of  saving 
France.  You  have  done  your  duty,  more  than  your 
duty.  It  would  be  worse  than  folly,  it  would  be  wicked- 
ness to  voluntarily  put  your  lives  into  danger,  when 
success  has  ceased  to  be  possible.  I  should  be  the  last 
man  to  hinder  you  from  what  was  your  duty.  I  said 
'Go/  before,  when  few  fathers  would  have  said  so.  I 
would  say  'Go/  again  now  if  your  duty  called  you;  but 
as  you  can  both  obtain  sick  leave  for  another  six  weeks, 
I  say  take  that  leave;  do  not  do  more  than  your  duty, 
for  heroism  is  now  of  no  use  to  France." 

"I  agree  with  you  altogether,  papa,"  Ealph  said.  "I 
have  seen  and  had  quite  enough  fighting  for  my  lifetime. 
Of  course,  if  the  war  goes  on,  Percy  and  I,  as  officers, 
must  return  to  our  duty;  but  I  am  willing  to  obtain  all 
the  sick  leave  I  can  get,  for  although  I  still  believe  in 
the  individual  bravery  of  the  French  soldiers,  I  am  quite 
convinced  that  it  is  altogether  out  of  the  question  that, 
with  their  want  of  organization,  want  of  generals,  want 
of  officers,  want  of  discipline,  want  of  everything,  they 
can  drive  out  the  magnificent  armies  of  Germany.  Has 
Percy  got  his  leave  extended?" 

"Yes,"  Percy  said:  "I  am  fairly  well,  but  I  am  still 
shaky.  I  have  not  quite  got  over  that  swim,  and  the 
surgeon  said,  without  my  applying  for  it,  that  I  must 
have  prolonged  rest,  so  at  the  end  of  the  month  he  ex- 
tended it  for  two  months  longer.  I  thoroughly  agree 
with  you  both;  we  have  had  quite  enough  of  it.  We 
shall  always  have  the  satisfaction  that  we  did  our  duty 
to  France  and   our  rank;  and  these  ribbons,"  and  he 


THE  YOUNG  FRANG-TIREUR8.  399 

touched  the  rosette  of  the  legion  of  honor  in  his 
buttonhole,  "will  prove  that  we  have  distinguished  our- 
selves. We  have  had  great  good  fortune  hitherto;  it 
might  turn  next  time." 

And  so  it  was  settled  that  the  boys  should  remain  at 
home  for  the  next  two  months,  by  which  time  they 
agreed  with  their  father  the  resistance  would  be  fairly 
worn  out. 

Ralph  wrote  to  General  Chanzy,  relating  the  whole 
circumstances  of  his  absence.  General  Chanzy  wrote  in 
reply,  in  spite  of  the  demands  upon  his  time,  saying  how 
pleased  he  was  that  Ralph  had  escaped,  as  he  had  quite 
given  him  up.  He  ended  his  note  by  saying  that  he  had 
alreadv  mentioned  his  name  in  dispatches  and  should 
now  make  a  fresh  report.  Colonel  Tempe,  or  rather 
General  Tempe,  for  he  now  commanded  a  brigade,  wrote 
also  to  congratulate  him.  One  portion  of  his  letter  con- 
tained bad  news,  for  he  mentioned  that  Tim  had  lost  an 
arm  at  the  battle  of  the  8th  of  December,  but  that  he  was 
now  doing  well. 

Those  were  exciting  days  at  Dijon.  The  news  of  the 
victory  at  Villersexel,  followed  by  the  fighting  which 
ended  in  the  capture  of  Montbeliard,  and  then  the 
obstinate  contests  near  Belfort,  when  Bourbaki  in  vain 
endeavored  to  drive  back  the  Germans  and  to  relieve  the 
besieged  town;  all  this  kept  the  excitement  up  at  fever 
heat. 

It  was  not  fated  that  the  war  should  end  without  the 
boys  seeing  service  once  more.  For  upon  the  21st  heavy 
firing  was  heard  upon  the  northwest  of  Dijon.  The  Bar- 
clays' house  was  on  the  southwest  of  the  town.  Upon 
the  northwest  the  ground  rises  in  two  steep  hills,  or 
rather  one  steep  hill,  with  two  summits  about  a  mile 
apart.  One  of  these  summits  is  called  Talant,  the  other 
Fontaine  les  Dijon.     Behind  the  latter,  and  upon  even 


330  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRBUR& 

higher  ground,  at  a  distance  of  two  and  three  mile? 
respectively,  lay  the  villages  of  Daix  and  Hautville. 

It  was  about  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning  that  the  boys 
heard  the  faint  boom  of  a  cannon. 

"Listen,  papa,"  Percy  shouted;  "there  are  cannon. 
The  Prussians  are  attacking  the  heights  on  the  other 
side." 

Captain  Barclay  came  out  into  the  garden  and  lis- 
tened for  awhile  with  them.  The  enemy  had  taken  up 
positions  upon  some  of  the  numerous  heights  surround- 
ing, and  were  playing  upon  the  batteries  at  Talant,  Fon- 
taine les  Dijon,  Daix,  and  Hauteville.  The  French 
replied  vigorously,  and  it  was  evident  that  they  were 
stronger  in  artillery  than  were  the  enemy. 

"I  fancy,"  Captain  Barclay  said,  "that  it  is  no  attack. 
It  is  merely,  I  think,  a  fire  opened  to  occupy  our  atten- 
tion, in  order  that  a  body  of  troops  may  pass  along  to 
the  northward  of  Dijon  to  fall  upon  Bourbaki's  rear. 
However,  my  place  is  with  my  company  of  national 
guards.  There  is  no  fear  of  an  attack  at  present,  but 
they  will  get  under  arms,  no  doubt." 

"We  will  go  down  into  the  town  with  you,  papa." 

The  firing  continued  until  five  o'clock,  when  it  gradu- 
ally died  away,  the  Germans  retiring.  An  hour  later 
the  greater  portion  of  the  troops  marched  back  to  the 
town.  The  enemy,  they  reported,  wWe  not  over  fifteen 
thousand  strong,  while  in  all  the  Garibaldians  and 
mobilized  national  guards  in  the  town  were  from  thirty 
thousand  to  forty  thousand  strong.  The  French  were 
also  much  stronger  in  artillery. 

Captain  Barclay  returned  home  with  the  boys.  They 
sat  up  late  talking  over  the  affair,  and  it  was  nearly  mid- 
night when  they  went  up  to  their  rooms.  Suddenly 
they  were  startled  by  a  fresh  outburst  of  fire  upon  the 
heights.  In  a  minute  or  two  all  the  household  were  in 
the  garden. 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREXTR8.  331 

"It  is  a  night  attack/'  Captain  Barclay  said;  "and 
jndging  by  the  sound  they  are  in  earnest.  I  can  hear 
snusketry  as  well  as  artillery." 

As  they  listened  it  came  nearer. 

"They  have  taken  Daix  and  Hauteville,"  Ralph  said. 
"What  shall  we  do,  papa?  We  can't  stay  here  quiet. 
It  is  our  plain  duty  to  go  down  and  report  ourselves  to 
General  Pelissier." 

"I  think  you  ought  to  do  so,"  Captain  Barclay 
answered  gravely. 

The  boys  went  off  to  put  on  their  uniforms,  for  Ralph 
had  replaced  the  one  he  had  left  behind  in  the  cottage 
near  Orleans. 

"I  do  not  think  you  need  be  uneasy,  Millicent,"  Cap- 
tain Barclay  said  to  his  wife.  "It  is  our  duty  to  go; 
but  I  hardly  think  that  they  can  have  been  reinforced 
in  sufficient  Btrength  to  attack  the  town." 

The  boys  were  soon  down. 

"Good-by,  mamma;  good-by  Milly;  don't  be  alarmed 
about  us;  we  have  no  horses,  and  there  can  be  no  risk  of 
our'being  sent  on  any  perilous  service  to-night." 

Two  silent  kisses  and  then  father  and  sons  hurried 
away  toward  the  town. 

"They  have  taken  Fontaine  les  Dijon,"  Ralph  said. 
"We  shall  soon  see  if  they  are  in  earnest." 

Dijon  they  found  in  utter  confusion.  Mounted 
orderlies  galloped  about;  the  troops  were  all  under  arms; 
engineers  were  at  work  crenelating  the  walls  and  houses 
upon  the  side  threatened  with  attack.  General  Garibaldi 
was  sitting  in  his  carriage  in  readiness  to  move  in  any 
direction  instantly.  General  Pelissier,  who  commanded 
the  mobilized  guards,  was  in  his  office,  and  staff  officers 
came  in  and  out  with  reports  every  five  minutes. 

The  boys  entered  and  briefly  reported  themselves  for 
service.  They  had  already  reported  their  presence  in 
the  place  upon  their  arrival. 


332  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREURSL 

"Thank  you,  gentlemen,"  he  said.  "I  do  not  think 
that  you  can  be  of  any  use  just  at  present,  but  if  the 
Germans  press  the  attack  I  shall  be  greatly  obliged.  In 
that  case  please  dismount  two  of  the  orderlies  and  take 
their  horses.,, 

The  night  passed  off,  however,  quietly;  the  Germans, 
satisfied  with  the  advantage,  remained  in  the  positions 
they  had  taken,  and  the  French  prepared  to  drive  them 
back  again  in  the  morning. 

At  daybreak  the  troops  began  to  pour  out  from  the 
town,  and  the  cannonade  commenced  with  greater  fury 
on  both  sides.  Two  of  the  orderlies,  in  obedience  to 
General  Pelissier's  orders,  gave  up  their  horses  to  the 
Barclays,  who  rode  out  with  the  generaPs  staff.  The 
Prussians  had  evidently  been  reinforced  in  the  night, 
but  the  French  nevertheless  gained  ground  gradually. 
After  several  hours'  heavy  cannonading,  the  Mobilises 
were  ordered  to  take  the  position  of  Fontaine  les  Dijon 
with  the  bayonet.  Three  Zouaves,  who  happened  to  be 
present,  took  their  places  at  the  head  of  the  column, 
and  at  the  double  they  went  up  the  hill  amid  a  storm 
of  shot  and  shell.  The  Germans  did  not  await  the 
assault,  but  fell  back  upon  Daix.  The  spirit  of  the 
Mobilises  was  now  up,  and  still  led  by  the  three  Zouaves, 
they  dashed  forward.  The  resistance  here  was  obstinate, 
but  the  Germans  were  driven  back  with  great  loss.  The 
pursuers  gave  them  no  rest,  but  went  forward  at  the 
double  and  drove  them  out  of  Hauteville  at  the  bayonet's 
point,  thus  winning  back  all  the  positions  lost  in  the 
night.  The  Barclays  had  little  to  do  during  the  affair, 
as  after  the  orders  had  once  been  given  the  spirit  of  the 
troops  carried  them  on  over  everything.  The  loss  upon 
both  sides  was  considerable,  and  one  of  General  Werder's 
sons  was  among  the  prisoners  taken  by  the  French. 

The  fight  over,  the  boys  returned  home  for  a  few 


THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIRE U  118.  333 

hours.  Their  father  had  come  in  half  an  hour  before 
them. 

The  next  morning  they  returned  at  daybreak  to  Dijon. 
The  Prussians  had  received  considerable  reinforcements 
in  the  night,  and  had  executed  a  long  detour,  advancing 
this  time  by  the  Langres  Road  nearly  due  north  of  the 
city.  They  left  the  road  and  took  up  their  position 
upon  a  plateau  near  the  village  of  Pouilly,  about  three 
miles  from  Dijon.  The  French  positions  were  about  a 
mile  nearer  to  the  town,  extending  from  the  foot  of 
Fontaine  les  Dijon  through  the  villages  of  St.  Marten 
and  Fontaine. 

From  the  morning  until  three  in  the  day  a  heavy 
artillery  fire  was  kept  up  on  both  sides.  At  that  hour 
the  Prussians  gave  signs  of  an  intention  to  advance;  their 
artillery  took  up  fresh  positions,  their  fire  increased  in 
rapidity,  and  it  was  evident  that  the  crisis  of  the  day 
was  at  hand.  Up  to  this  time  the  boys  had  had  but 
little  to  do.  Sitting  on  their  horses,  or  leaning  against 
them,  they  had  chatted  with  the  officers  of  the  general 
staff.  At  this  period,  however,  General  Garibaldi  drew 
up,  and  there  was  a^  brief  consultation  betAveen  him  and 
General  Pelissier.  A  few  hasty  orders  were  given,  and 
in  an  instant  the  whole  of  the  staff  were  dashing  away  to 
different  parts  of  the  ground. 

"Charge  in  line!"  was  the  order,  and  forming  shoulder 
to  shoulder,  the  Garibaldians  and  Mobiles  moved  for- 
ward in  a  grand  line  a  mile  and  a  half  long,  uttering 
loud  and  inspiriting  cheers.  The  boys  had  been  sent  to 
the  regiments  next  to  each  other,  and  their  message 
delivered  they  joined  each  other  and  rode  on  with  the 
advancing  line. 

"This  is  grand,  Ralph,"  Percy  said  enthusiastically. 
"We  have  seen  a  good  many  defeats;  we  are  going  to 
wind  up  with  a  victory  at  last." 


334  THE  YOUNG  FRANC-TIREUR8. 

For  awhile  the  Germans  stood  their  ground,  pouring 
a  shower  of  shot  and  shell  into  the  advancing  French;  but 
the  dash  and  go  of  the  latter,  excited  by  their  successes 
of  the  two  preceding  days,  were  irresistible.  The  Ger- 
mans wavered  and  fell  back  as  the  French  advanced,  and 
from  that  moment  the  fate  of  the  day  was  decided. 
Isolated  German  regiments  fought  desperately,  but  in 
vain.  The  French  pushed  them  back  from  position  to 
position  until  nightfall  covered  the  retreat. 

The  German  loss  was  very  heavy,  and  the  French,  in 
addition  to  a  considerable  number  of  prisoners,  had  the 
satisfaction  of  taking  a  German  color,  the  only  one 
captured  throughout  the  war. 

This  was  the  last  fight  in  which  the  Barclays  took  part 
during  the  war.  The  boys  escaped  unhurt,  as  did  their 
father,  who  had  joined  one  of  the  regiments  of  Mobiles, 
and  had  advanced  with  them. 

The  events  followed  fast,  day  after  day.  In  rapid 
succession  they  heard  of  the  defeat  of  Ohanzy  at  Le 
Mans,  the  retreat  of  Bourbaki,  the  terrible  sufferings  of 
the  troops  as  they  fell  back  upon  the  Swiss  frontier  for 
refuge.  Simultaneously  with  the  news  of  this  retreat 
came  the  intelligence  of  the  surrender  of  Paris  and  of 
the  armistice;  and  grieving  over  France's  misfortune, 
they  were  yet  heartily  rejoiced  that  the  hopeless  contest 
was  over. 

No  sooner  were  the  preliminaries  of  peace  signed 
than  Captain  Barclay  carried  out  his  intention  of  leaving 
for  England.  M.  Dubnrg  had  already  agreed  to  pur- 
chase the  cottage  and  adjoining  grounds,  which  he 
intends  for  Louis  when  he  marries.  The  Barclays  were 
sorry  to  leave  their  uncle  and  cousins,  but  there  was  no 
great  grief  with  reference  to  the  separation  from  Ma- 
dame Duburg.  General  Tempe  they  parted  from  with 
regret.  That  officer's  fighting  days  were  over,  for  he 
lost  a  leg  in  the  battle  before  Le  Mans. 


THE  TOUNQ  FRANC- TIME  UBS.  365 

Ralph  obtained  the  step  as  major,  in  consequence  of 
General  Chanzy's  report  in  his  favor,  but  he  never  put  on 
the  uniform  of  the  rank,  nor  is  it  likely  that  he  ever  will 
do  so,  although  he  hopes  some  day  to  attain  the  grade 
in  the  British  service.  He  is  at  present  studying  hard 
for  an  examination  in  the  artillery,  which,  if  practical 
knowledge  goes  for  anything,  he  is  pretty  certain  to  get. 
Percy  has  had  enough  of  fighting,  and  his  present  idea 
is  that  he  shall  go  to  the  bar,  but  he  has  plenty  of 
time  before  him  yet.  Both  never  boast  of  their  achieve- 
ments, indeed,  are  straightforward,  unaffected  English 
lads  still,  and  it  is  only  to  intimate  friends  that  they 
ever  speak  of  their  adventures  in  the  war. 

The  Barclays  live  now  a  short  distance  out  of  London, 
and  the  pony-chaise  in  which  Captain  Barclay  drives  his 
wife  and  Milly  can  be  seen  any  day  on  the  Richmond 
road.  If  you  stop  and  watch  it  turn  into  the  little  drive 
up  to  the  house,  you  will  observe  that  a  one-armed  man, 
who  has  previously  been  busy  in  the  garden,  throws  down 
his  spade  and  take  the  ponies  oft  to  the  stables;  and 
should  he  not  happen  to  be  at  the  front  of  the  house  as 
the  ponies  draw  up,  you  will  hear  Milly  summon  him 
with  a  loud  call  of  "Tim!" 


BXTD. 


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